Detecting short-interval longitudinal cortical atrophy in neurodegenerative dementias via cluster scanning: A proof

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Yuta Katsumi1, Michael Brickhouse1, Lindsay C Hanford2

  • 1Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.

Imaging Neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)
|February 25, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Cluster scanning with multiple MRI scans helps detect early brain atrophy in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. This method improves tracking of cortical thickness changes over short periods in individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Neurology
  • Medical Diagnostics

Background:

  • Regional brain atrophy from structural MRI is key for diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's, Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration).
  • Traditional MRI morphometry faces challenges in detecting subtle longitudinal atrophy over short intervals due to measurement errors.
  • Accurate detection of early neurodegeneration is crucial for timely intervention and disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of cluster scanning (multiple rapid MRI scans) for detecting longitudinal cortical atrophy.
  • To assess the feasibility of identifying short-term (3- and 6-month) atrophy changes in individual patients.
  • To provide proof-of-concept for using pooled morphometric estimates in neurodegenerative dementia research.

Main Methods:

  • Employed cluster scanning with a fast 1.2-mm T1-weighted MEMPRAGE sequence on a 3 Tesla scanner.
  • Collected structural MRI data from four participants with mild cognitive impairment or dementia at baseline, 3, and 6 months.
  • Utilized linear mixed-effects models to analyze cortical thickness changes in vulnerable and control brain regions.

Main Results:

  • Statistically significant longitudinal cortical atrophy (decreased thickness) was detected by 3 months in all participants.
  • Phenotypically vulnerable 'core atrophy' regions showed preferential atrophy compared to control regions in three participants.
  • Cluster scanning successfully detected short-term cortical atrophy in individual patients with neurodegenerative dementias.

Conclusions:

  • Pooling morphometric estimates from cluster scanning enables detection of longitudinal cortical atrophy over short intervals.
  • This approach offers enhanced sensitivity for tracking neurodegeneration in individual patients.
  • Cluster scanning represents a promising technique for early detection and monitoring of neurodegenerative dementias.
Keywords:
Alzheimer’s diseasecortical thicknessfrontotemporal lobar degenerationmagnetic resonance imagingprecision neuroimaging

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