Advanced

AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

Published ahead of print on March 11, 2009
doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A1484

This Article Free to Access Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: ajnr.A1484v1 30/5/893    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wang, L. Articles by Mao, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wang, L. Articles by Mao, H.

American Journal of Neuroradiology 30:893-899, May 2009
© 2009 American Society of Neuroradiology

BRAIN

Alterations in Cortical Thickness and White Matter Integrity in Mild Cognitive Impairment Measured by Whole-Brain Cortical Thickness Mapping and Diffusion Tensor Imaging

L. Wang^a,e, F.C. Goldstein^b, E. Veledar^c, A.I. Levey^b, J.J. Lah^b, C.C. Meltzer^a,b,d, C.A. Holder^a and H. Mao^a

^a Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga
^b Department of Neurology and the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga
^c Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga
^d Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga
^e Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Please address correspondence to Hui Mao, PhD, Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1364 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, Ga 30322; e-mail: hmao{at}emory.edu

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a risk factor for Alzheimer disease and can be difficult to diagnose because of the subtlety of symptoms. This study attempted to examine gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) changes with cortical thickness analysis and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in patients with MCI and demographically matched comparison subjects to test these measurements as possible imaging markers for diagnosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects with amnestic MCI (n = 10; age, 72.2 ± 7.1 years) and normal cognition (n = 10; age, 70.1 ± 7.7 years) underwent DTI and T1-weighted MR imaging at 3T. Fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and cortical thickness were measured and compared between the MCI and control groups. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of 2 methods, either in combination or separately, using binary logistic regression and nonparametric statistical analyses for sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.

RESULTS: Decreased FA and increased ADC in WM regions of the frontal and temporal lobes and corpus callosum (CC) were observed in patients with MCI. Cortical thickness was decreased in GM regions of the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes in patients with MCI. Changes in WM and cortical thickness seemed to be more pronounced in the left hemisphere compared with the right hemisphere. Furthermore, the combination of cortical thickness and DTI measurements in the left temporal areas improved the accuracy of differentiating MCI patients from control subjects compared with either measure alone.

CONCLUSIONS: DTI and cortical thickness analyses may both serve as imaging markers to differentiate MCI from normal aging. Combined use of these 2 methods may improve the accuracy of MCI diagnosis.