Functional implications of hippocampal volume and diffusivity in mild cognitive impairment

Background and Objectives: A complex network of axonal pathways interlinks the human brain cortex. Brain networks are not distributed evenly, and brain regions making more connections with other parts are defined as brain hubs. Our objective was to analyze brain hub region volume and cortical thickness and determine the association with cognitive assessment scores in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 11 patients (5 mild cognitive impairment; 6 dementia). All patients underwent neurological examination, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test scores were recorded. Scans with a 3T MRI scanner were done, and cortical thickness and volumetric data were acquired using Freesurfer 7.1.0 software. Results: By analyzing differences between the MCI and dementia groups, MCI patients had higher hippocampal volumes (p < 0.05) and left entorhinal cortex thickness (p < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between MoCA test scores and left hippocampus volume (r = 0.767, p < 0.01), right hippocampus volume (r = 0.785, p < 0.01), right precuneus cortical thickness (r = 0.648, p < 0.05), left entorhinal cortex thickness (r = 0.767, p < 0.01), and right entorhinal cortex thickness (r = 0.612, p < 0.05). Conclusions: In our study, hippocampal volume and entorhinal cortex showed significant differences in the MCI and dementia patient groups. Additionally, we found a statistically significant positive correlation between MoCA scores, hippocampal volume, entorhinal cortex thickness, and right precuneus. Although other brain hub regions did not show statistically significant differences, there should be additional research to evaluate the brain hub region association with MCI and dementia.

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Whole-exome sequencing and imaging genetics identify functional variants for rate of change in hippocampal volume in mild cognitive impairment

Molecular Psychiatry ◽

10.1038/mp.2013.24 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. 781-787 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

K Nho ◽

◽

J J Corneveaux ◽

S Kim ◽

H Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Exome Sequencing ◽

Whole Exome Sequencing ◽

Hippocampal Volume ◽

Imaging Genetics ◽

Rate Of Change ◽

Functional Variants ◽

Whole Exome

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Differences in cognitive ability and hippocampal volume between Alzheimer’s disease, amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and healthy control groups, and their correlation

Neuroscience Letters ◽

10.1016/j.neulet.2016.03.044 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 620 ◽

pp. 115-120 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Mi-Hyun Choi ◽

Hyung-Sik Kim ◽

Seon-Young Gim ◽

Woo-Ram Kim ◽

Kyung-Ryul Mun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Ability ◽

Hippocampal Volume ◽

Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Control Groups ◽

Healthy Control

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The Use of a Virtual Reality Platform for the Assessment of the Memory Decline and the Hippocampal Neural Injury in Subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment: The Validity of Smart Aging Serious Game (SASG)

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9051355 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 1355 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Monia Cabinio ◽

Federica Rossetto ◽

Sara Isernia ◽

Francesca Lea Saibene ◽

Monica Di Cesare ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Neuronal Degeneration ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Hippocampal Volume ◽

Volume Measurement ◽

Serious Game ◽

Cognitive Profile ◽

Discrimination Ability

Due to the lack of pharmacological treatment for dementia, timely detection of subjects at risk can be of seminal importance for preemptive rehabilitation interventions. The aim of the study was to determine the usability of the smart aging serious game (SASG), a virtual reality platform, in assessing the cognitive profile of an amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) population, its validity in discriminating aMCI from healthy controls (HC), and in detecting hippocampal degeneration, a biomarker of clinical progression towards dementia. Thirty-six aMCI and 107 HC subjects were recruited and administered the SASG together with a neuropsychological evaluation. All aMCI and 30 HC subjects performed also an MRI for hippocampal volume measurement. Results showed good usability of the SASG despite the low familiarity with technology in both groups. ROC curve analyses showed similar discriminating abilities for SASG and gold standard tests, and a greater discrimination ability compared to non-specific neuropsychological tests. Finally, linear regression analysis revealed that the SASG outperformed the Montreal cognitive assessment test (MoCA) in the ability to detect neuronal degeneration in the hippocampus on the right side. These data show that SASG is an ecological task, that can be considered a digital biomarker providing objective and clinically meaningful data about the cognitive profile of aMCI subjects.

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Theory of Mind in Mild Cognitive Impairment – Relationship with Limbic Structures and Behavioural Change

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617719000870 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (10) ◽

pp. 1023-1034 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Johannes C. Michaelian ◽

Loren Mowszowski ◽

Adam J. Guastella ◽

Julie D. Henry ◽

Shantel Duffy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Theory Of Mind ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Behavioural Change ◽

Hippocampal Volume ◽

Control Group ◽

Social Cognitive Deficits ◽

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽

The Mind

AbstractObjectives:Older adults presenting with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have a higher risk of developing dementia and also demonstrate impairments in social cognition. This study sought to establish whether in people with MCI, poorer theory of mind (ToM) was associated with volumetric changes in the amygdala and hippocampus, as well as early changes in behaviour.Methods:One hundred and fourteen people with MCI and fifty-two older adult controls completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), while close informants (e.g., spouse/family member/friend/carer) described any current behavioural changes using the Revised Cambridge Behavioural Inventory (CBI-R). A subsample of participants completed structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Results:The MCI group showed poorer performance on all neuropsychological tests administered, and moderate reductions on the RMET compared to the control group (d = .44), with greater reduction observed in those with amnestic compared to non-amnestic MCI (p = .03). While a robust correlation was identified between poorer RMET performance and smaller hippocampal volume in the control group (ρ = .53, p = .01), this relationship was not apparent in the MCI group (ρ = .21, p = .11). In the MCI group, poorer RMET performance was associated with poorer everyday skills (ρ = −.26, p = .01) assessed by the CBI-R.Conclusions:Our findings cross-validate previous reports that social cognitive deficits in ToM are a feature of MCI and also suggest that disruptions to broader neural networks are likely to be implicated. Furthermore, ToM deficits in MCI are associated with a decline in everyday skills such as writing or paying bills.

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