Cognitive decline in AD and mild cognitive impairment is associated with global brain damage.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the relationships between structural damage in the whole brain, the temporal lobes, and the frontal lobes and cognitive decline at old age. The authors hypothesized that widespread brain damage as quantified using magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) is related to global cognitive decline, whereas regional damage to the temporal lobes is related to memory impairment, and regional damage to the frontal lobes is related to executive dysfunctioning.

METHODS:
Cognitive function of 22 patients with probable AD, 13 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 28 elderly controls was assessed using an extensive neuropsychological test battery. Structural damage in the whole brain, the temporal lobes, and the frontal lobes was estimated using volumetric MTI analysis. Associations between MTI measures and neuropsychological tests were investigated using Pearson correlation analysis.

RESULTS:
MTI measures of the whole brain, as well as the temporal and the frontal lobes, were strongly associated with global cognitive deterioration and impairment in memory, orientation, language, praxis, gnosis, and executive functioning. However, there were no specific cognitive correlates of regional brain damage to the temporal and frontal lobes.

CONCLUSIONS:
Using whole brain volumetric magnetization transfer imaging, the authors demonstrated that cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD is associated with widespread structural brain damage. As there were no specific relationships between regional brain damage and impairment of specific cognitive functions, pathology in AD and mild cognitive impairment is much more generalized than was expected.

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Author information

Author/s: Van Der Flier, W M (WM); Van Den Heuvel, D M J (DM); Weverling-Rijnsburger, A W E (AW); Spilt, A (A); Bollen, E L E M (EL); Westendorp, R G J (RG); Middelkoop, H A M (HA); Van Buchem, M A (MA);

Affiliation: Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands. W.M.van_der_flier(-atsign-)lumc.nl

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Neurology (Neurology), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Sep; vol 59 (issue 6) : pp 874-9

Dates: Created 2002/09/25; Completed 2002/10/16; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12297570, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Alzheimer Disease - pathology; psychology
Analysis of Variance
Brain Damage, Chronic - pathology; psychology
Chi-Square Distribution
Cognition Disorders - pathology; psychology

Female
Frontal Lobe - pathology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; statistics & numerical data
Male
Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data
Temporal Lobe - pathology

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