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A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
12:18

A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: January 11, 2020

Mild cognitive impairment associated with underlying Alzheimer's disease versus Lewy body disease

Bradley F Boeve1

  • 1Division of Behavioral Neurology, Department of Neurology, and Center for Sleep Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. bboeve@mayo.edu

Parkinsonism & Related Disorders
|December 15, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Differentiating mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) from Lewy body disease (LBD) is becoming feasible. Neuroimaging and clinical findings show distinct patterns for AD and LBD in MCI patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Neuroscience
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a clinical syndrome impacting cognitive domains but preserving daily living activities.
  • Distinguishing between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Lewy body disease (LBD) in the MCI stage is clinically significant.
  • Early identification of underlying pathology in MCI can guide treatment and prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare and contrast clinical, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging findings in MCI patients with underlying AD versus LBD.
  • To identify distinguishing biomarkers for AD and LBD in the MCI phase.
  • To assess the feasibility of differentiating AD from LBD in early cognitive decline.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of clinical presentations in MCI associated with AD and LBD.
  • Analysis of neuropsychological profiles characteristic of AD and LBD in MCI.
  • Comparison of neuroimaging findings including MRI, FDG-PET, amyloid PET, and DAT scans.

Main Results:

  • MCI in AD is typically amnesic, with hippocampal atrophy, temporoparietal hypometabolism, and positive amyloid PET.
  • MCI in LBD often involves executive/visuospatial deficits, preceded by REM sleep disorder, with minimal hippocampal atrophy and occipital hypometabolism.
  • Distinct patterns in dopamine transporter (DAT) scans are observed, with normal striatonigral uptake in AD and decreased uptake in LBD.

Conclusions:

  • Clinical, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging data suggest feasibility in differentiating MCI due to AD from MCI due to LBD.
  • Specific patterns of cognitive deficits and neuroimaging biomarkers aid in distinguishing these conditions.
  • Further research can refine diagnostic criteria for early-stage AD and LBD.

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