Structural Analysis of Brain Hub Region Volume and Cortical Thickness in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

Medicina

Andrejs Kostiks¹  Guntis Karelis¹  Ardis Platkājis²  Nauris Zdanovskis² 

[1] Department of Neurosurgery and Neurology, Riga East University Hospital, Hipokrāta iela 2, LV-1038 Riga, Latvia;Department of Radiology, Riga East University Hospital, Hipokrāta iela 2, LV-1038 Riga, Latvia;

关键词: brain networks;    brain hubs;    mild cognitive impairment;    dementia;    neuroimaging;    cortical thickness;   

DOI  :  10.3390/medicina56100497

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

Unknown