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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Application of Granger Causality Analysis of the Directed Functional Connection in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: August 7, 2017
Thalamic nuclei insights into Alzheimer's disease
Julie P Vidal1,2,3, Daniel J Myall2, Jérémie Pariente3,4
1Te Kura Mahi ā-Hirikapo | School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing, University of Canterbury. Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Introduction:
Thalamic nuclei support multiple cognitive processes, yet their integrity in biologically-defined Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unknown.
Method:
Amyloid status was determined using PET Centiloids >24 in 1,327 participants from ADNI. Combined with clinical diagnosis, this yielded six groups: amyloid-negative or positive CN-MCI-dementia/AD. Thalamic nuclei volumes were extracted from T1-weighted MRI using the HIPS-THOMAS algorithm.
Results:
Large volume reductions in the anteroventral, mediodorsal, and pulvinar nuclei were observed in amyloid-positive MCI and AD. Reduced volumes were also evident in amyloid-positive CN, supporting preclinical AD. Adding the anteroventral nucleus improved cognitive status classification in Random Forest analyses. A phenotypic model integrating thalamic nuclei clearly distinguished amyloid-positive groups from amyloid-negative CN and reclassified non-AD patients with 68% of amyloid-negative MCI subjects as CN-like, and 27% of amyloid-positive CN as MCI-like.
Discussion:
Thalamic volumetry from conventional T1-weighted MRI enhances clinical insight into AD and provides a practical biomarker for disease intervention.
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