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Cortical thickness analysis to detect progressive mild cognitive impairment: a reference to Alzheimer's disease

Valtteri Julkunen1, Eini Niskanen, Sebastian Muehlboeck

  • 1Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.

Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders
|November 13, 2009
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Cortical thickness differences in the brain can help identify mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients likely to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD). This finding aids in early detection and monitoring of neurodegenerative disease progression.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Neurology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) significantly increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • Early identification of MCI patients at high risk for AD progression is crucial for disease management and treatment.
  • Distinguishing between progressive and stable MCI is essential for personalized patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in cortical thickness (CTH) between progressive MCI (P-MCI) and stable MCI (S-MCI) subjects.
  • To determine if CTH analysis can predict conversion from MCI to AD.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized baseline MRI and up to 7 years of clinical follow-up data from 60 MCI subjects.
  • Employed an automatic computational surface-based method to measure CTH.
  • Tracked conversion to AD over the follow-up period, noting 15 subjects converted while 45 remained stable.

Main Results:

  • Progressive MCI (P-MCI) subjects showed significantly reduced CTH in multiple brain regions compared to stable MCI (S-MCI) subjects.
  • Key affected areas included frontal, temporal, parahippocampal, cingulate, and retrosplenial cortices.
  • Reductions in CTH were observed bilaterally, with additional right-sided involvement in precuneal and paracentral regions.

Conclusions:

  • Cortical thickness analysis, combined with neuropsychological testing, can identify individuals at high risk of imminent MCI to AD conversion.
  • This neuroimaging approach offers potential for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, several years prior to clinical dementia diagnosis.
  • CTH measurement provides a valuable biomarker for monitoring disease progression in MCI patients.

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