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Beta-amyloid burden in the temporal neocortex is related to hippocampal atrophy in elderly subjects without dementia

P Bourgeat1, G Chételat, V L Villemagne

  • 1CSIRO Preventative Health National Research Flagship ICTC, The Australian e-Health Research Centre-BioMedIA, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, Queensland, Australia. pierrick.bourgeat@csiro.au

Neurology
|January 13, 2010
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Beta-amyloid (Abeta) deposition in the temporal neocortex correlates with hippocampal atrophy in healthy older adults. This suggests early Abeta accumulation may drive neurodegeneration, even before cognitive impairment.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Neuropathology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by beta-amyloid (Abeta) plaques and neurodegeneration.
  • Hippocampal atrophy is a key feature of AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
  • The relationship between Abeta burden and hippocampal atrophy in early disease stages is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between global and regional Abeta burden, measured by 11C-Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) PET, and hippocampal atrophy on MRI.
  • To investigate this relationship in healthy controls (HC), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and AD patients.

Main Methods:

  • 92 HC, 32 aMCI, and 35 AD participants underwent 11C-PIB PET and MRI scans.
  • Hippocampal volume was measured, and PIB standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) was extracted from 41 regions of interest after partial volume correction.
  • Region-based and voxel-based correlations between PIB SUVR and hippocampal volume were computed for each group.

Main Results:

  • A significant correlation between PIB retention in the inferior temporal region and hippocampal volume was observed in HC with elevated neocortical PIB retention.
  • This correlation was found using both region-based and voxel-based analyses.
  • No significant correlation was found in the aMCI or AD groups.

Conclusions:

  • In PIB-positive healthy controls, Abeta deposition in the inferior temporal neocortex is strongly associated with hippocampal atrophy.
  • This finding suggests that Abeta accumulation in specific neocortical regions may initiate hippocampal synaptic and neuronal degeneration.
  • These early pathological changes may precede the development of MCI or AD.

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