%0 Journal Article %J J Alzheimers Dis %D 2018 %T A Retrospective Belgian Multi-Center MRI Biomarker Study in Alzheimer's Disease (REMEMBER). %A Niemantsverdriet, Ellis %A Ribbens, Annemie %A Bastin, Christine %A Benoit, Florence %A Bergmans, Bruno %A Bier, Jean-Christophe %A Bladt, Roxanne %A Claes, Lene %A De Deyn, Peter Paul %A Deryck, Olivier %A Hanseeuw, Bernard %A Ivanoiu, Adrian %A Lemper, Jean-Claude %A Mormont, Eric %A Picard, Gaëtane %A Salmon, Eric %A Segers, Kurt %A Sieben, Anne %A Smeets, Dirk %A Struyfs, Hanne %A Thiery, Evert %A Tournoy, Jos %A Triau, Eric %A Vanbinst, Anne-Marie %A Versijpt, Jan %A Bjerke, Maria %A Engelborghs, Sebastiaan %X

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition/processing techniques assess brain volumes to explore neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

OBJECTIVE: We examined the clinical utility of MSmetrix and investigated if automated MRI volumes could discriminate between groups covering the AD continuum and could be used as a predictor for clinical progression.

METHODS: The Belgian Dementia Council initiated a retrospective, multi-center study and analyzed whole brain (WB), grey matter (GM), white matter (WM), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), cortical GM (CGM) volumes, and WM hyperintensities (WMH) using MSmetrix in the AD continuum. Baseline (n = 887) and follow-up (FU, n = 95) T1-weighted brain MRIs and time-linked neuropsychological data were available.

RESULTS: The cohort consisted of cognitively healthy controls (HC, n = 93), subjective cognitive decline (n = 102), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 379), and AD dementia (n = 313). Baseline WB and GM volumes could accurately discriminate between clinical diagnostic groups and were significantly decreased with increasing cognitive impairment. MCI patients had a significantly larger change in WB, GM, and CGM volumes based on two MRIs (n = 95) compared to HC (FU>24months, p = 0.020). Linear regression models showed that baseline atrophy of WB, GM, CGM, and increased CSF volumes predicted cognitive impairment.

CONCLUSION: WB and GM volumes extracted by MSmetrix could be used to define the clinical spectrum of AD accurately and along with CGM, they are able to predict cognitive impairment based on (decline in) MMSE scores. Therefore, MSmetrix can support clinicians in their diagnostic decisions, is able to detect clinical disease progression, and is of help to stratify populations for clinical trials.

%B J Alzheimers Dis %V 63 %P 1509-1522 %8 2018 %G eng %N 4 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29782314?dopt=Abstract %R 10.3233/JAD-171140 %0 Journal Article %J J Alzheimers Dis %D 2015 %T Impairment of Age Estimation from Faces in Alzheimer's Disease. %A Moyse, Evelyne %A Bastin, Christine %A Salmon, Eric %A Brédart, Serge %X

A prerequisite for any function in social cognition is the perception and processing of social cues. Age estimation is a skill that is used in everyday life and is fundamental in social interactions. This study evaluated whether facial age estimation is impaired in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). The current age of faces is known to have an impact on age estimation, and therefore stimuli belonging to different age groups (young, middle-aged, and older adults' faces) were used. As expected, an impairment of age estimation from faces was observed in mild to moderate AD patients. However, the profile of impairment depended on the age of faces and stage of the disease. Mild AD patients presented difficulties mainly in assessing the age of middle-aged adults. In moderate disease stage, these difficulties also affected the age estimation of young adult faces. Interestingly, AD patients remained relatively good at estimating the age of older adults' faces, compared to healthy controls.

%B J Alzheimers Dis %8 2015 Jan 13 %G ENG %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25589725?dopt=Abstract %R 10.3233/JAD-142253