Midline cerebral morphometry distinguishes frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Kaufer, D. I., Miller, B. L., Itti, L., Fairbanks, L. A., Li, J., Fishman, J., Kushi, J., & Cummings, J. L. Neurology, 48(4):978-85, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, USA., Apr, 1997.
abstract   bibtex   
We investigated and contrasted midline cerebral structures in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). FTD and AD may be difficult to distinguish clinically. FTD typically affects frontal and anterior temporal regions, whereas AD tends to involve more posterior temporal and parietal areas. We hypothesized that disease-specific cerebral alterations would be differentially reflected in corresponding regions of the corpus callosum (CC), pericallosal CSF space (PCS), or their ratio (CC:PCS). Regions-of-interest (ROIs) from midsagittal MRIs in 17 AD, 16 FTD, and 12 elderly control (EC) subjects were analyzed. ROIs were divided into four regions using an anatomic landmark-based computer algorithm and were adjusted for head size variation. FTD subjects had a much smaller anterior CC region and significantly larger PCS area, particularly in anterior regions. AD and EC subjects did not differ significantly in any total or regional ROI measure. Total and anterior CC:PCS ratios were markedly lower in FTD patients. Across groups, total CC:PCS correlated significantly with midsagittal cerebral area and was similarly associated with Mini-Mental State Examination score. Anterior CC (AD) and PCS (FTD) regions exhibited disease-specific relationships to these variables. A discriminant model using two ROI variables correctly classified 91% of AD and FTD patients, comparing favorably with blind clinical MRI diagnostic ratings. Midline cerebral structural alterations reflect differential patterns of cerebral degeneration in AD and FTD, yielding morphometric indices that may facilitate the study of brain-behavior relationships and differential diagnosis of dementia.
@article{ Kaufer_etal97,
  author = { D. I. Kaufer and B. L. Miller and L. Itti and L. A. Fairbanks
                        and J. Li and J. Fishman and J. Kushi and J. L. Cummings },
  title = { Midline cerebral morphometry distinguishes frontotemporal
                        dementia and Alzheimer's disease },
  journal = {Neurology},
  volume = {48},
  number = {4},
  pages = { 978-85 },
  month = { Apr },
  year = {1997},
  keywords = { Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Algorithms ; Alzheimer Disease/*diagnosis/psychology
                        ; Brain/*pathology ; Dementia/*diagnosis/psychology ; Diagnosis,
                        Differential ; Discriminant Analysis ; Female ; *Frontal
                        Lobe ; Human ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle
                        Age ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Reference Values
                        ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
                        ; Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. ; *Temporal Lobe ; 1997/04/01
                        00:00 },
  abstract = { We investigated and contrasted midline cerebral structures
                        in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease
                        (AD). FTD and AD may be difficult to distinguish clinically.
                        FTD typically affects frontal and anterior temporal regions,
                        whereas AD tends to involve more posterior temporal and
                        parietal areas. We hypothesized that disease-specific cerebral
                        alterations would be differentially reflected in corresponding
                        regions of the corpus callosum (CC), pericallosal CSF space
                        (PCS), or their ratio (CC:PCS). Regions-of-interest (ROIs)
                        from midsagittal MRIs in 17 AD, 16 FTD, and 12 elderly control
                        (EC) subjects were analyzed. ROIs were divided into four
                        regions using an anatomic landmark-based computer algorithm
                        and were adjusted for head size variation. FTD subjects
                        had a much smaller anterior CC region and significantly
                        larger PCS area, particularly in anterior regions. AD and
                        EC subjects did not differ significantly in any total or
                        regional ROI measure. Total and anterior CC:PCS ratios were
                        markedly lower in FTD patients. Across groups, total CC:PCS
                        correlated significantly with midsagittal cerebral area
                        and was similarly associated with Mini-Mental State Examination
                        score. Anterior CC (AD) and PCS (FTD) regions exhibited
                        disease-specific relationships to these variables. A discriminant
                        model using two ROI variables correctly classified 91% of
                        AD and FTD patients, comparing favorably with blind clinical
                        MRI diagnostic ratings. Midline cerebral structural alterations
                        reflect differential patterns of cerebral degeneration in
                        AD and FTD, yielding morphometric indices that may facilitate
                        the study of brain-behavior relationships and differential
                        diagnosis of dementia. },
  address = { Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School
                        of Medicine, PA, USA. },
  type = {med},
  if = {1998 impact factor: 4.972}
}

Downloads: 0