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Subcortical morphological correlates of impaired clock drawing performance
Ulrich Seidl1, Tanja V Traeger, Dusan Hirjak
1Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Voss-Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany.
Neuroscience Letters
|February 11, 2012
Summary
The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is linked to specific subcortical brain changes, particularly in the hippocampus and globus pallidus. These findings highlight the role of these deep brain structures in cognitive function assessment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is a widely used tool for assessing cognitive function, particularly in older adults and those with suspected neurodegenerative diseases.
- Subcortical brain structures play crucial roles in various cognitive processes, but their specific contribution to CDT performance is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between Clock Drawing Test (CDT) performance and the morphology of subcortical brain structures.
- To determine if impaired CDT performance is associated with specific volumetric or shape alterations in deep gray matter nuclei.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-four participants, including patients with Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, and healthy controls, underwent neuropsychological assessment.
- High-resolution 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to analyze the volume and shape of subcortical structures: amygdala, caudate nucleus, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, pallidum, putamen, and thalamus.
Main Results:
- CDT performance showed significant associations with morphometric measurements of several subcortical regions.
- Impaired CDT performance was specifically correlated with bilateral hippocampal alterations and changes in the right globus pallidus.
- These associations indicated regionally specific morphometric changes, not global atrophy.
Conclusions:
- Subcortical brain regions, especially the hippocampus and globus pallidus, are involved in Clock Drawing Test performance.
- Morphological changes in these subcortical structures may contribute to deficits observed in the CDT in individuals with cognitive impairment.
