Authors: Giovanna Bubbico, Mariella Lauriola, Michele Minerva, Angelo DI Iorio, Roberto Esposito, Mauro Gianni Perrucci, Armando Tartaro
Published: 2020-12-07
DOI: 10.1002/alz.047464
Source: Full article
AbstractBackgroundSubjective cognitive decline (SCD) is a state in which a subjectively perceived decline in cognition appears in the absence of an objective decline detected by neuropsychological tests. It tends to occur at the late phase of preclinical AD and has been proposed as a pre‐MCI stage (Rabin et al., 2017). Hippocampal atrophy is a well‐known feature of AD (Halliday, 2017).MethodBrain morphometry was observed in a 2‐years follow‐up. Participants were assigned to the SCD or non‐SCD group according to the SCD research criteria: SCD‐Q score ≥7 was classified as SCD (Rami et al., 2014). Among seventy community‐ dwelling individuals who had been enrolled at baseline (Lauriola et al., 2017), thirty‐five (64.6 ±5.6 y, 15M/20F) took‐part in the follow‐up phase. All participants underwent complete neuropsychological battery and a 3T Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination (Philips Achieva X Series). High‐resolution structural images were acquired through a 3D magnetization‐prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo sequence: matrix 256 × 256, field of view 240 × 240 × 170 mm, slice thickness 1 mm, no gaps, in‐plane voxel size 1 mm × 1 mm, flip angle 12°, repetition time = 8.2 ms, echo time = 3.8 ms. Structural T1‐weighted images were processed using FSL software (https://fsl.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl/fslwiki, version 6.0). Gray matter differences were assessed with VBM (voxel‐based morphometry), as implemented in FSL (FMRIB Software Library v6.0).ResultSignificant differences (p=0.03, corrected for multiple comparison) were observed between SCD and non‐SCD partecipants in the hippocampus global total intracranial normalized volume (TIV). Atrophy maps on hippocampal areas showed major involvement of the para‐hippocampal region, of the left mesial temporal lobe (Fig. 1).ConclusionSCD hippocampal volumetry reduction might be considered a negative prognostic finding as a potential prelude to an evolution in early dementia.