Objectives: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) are among the leading causes of early-onset dementia. This study aimed to assess the rate of whole brain atrophy by comparing bvFTD and AD. Methods: Two patients (one man with AD, and one woman with bvFTD) had neuropsychological and neuroimaging assessment by using automated techniques for cross-sectional and longitudinal atrophy measurements. Results: In the patient with AD, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed decreased bilateral hippocampal and mesial-temporal volume. However, conventional images showed no difference between baseline (T0) and after 1 year (T1). In the patient with bvFTD, MRI showed bilateral frontotemporal lobe atrophy and a moderate increase in atrophy between T0 and T1, particularly in the temporal lobes. A cross-sectional cerebral volume examination showed a considerable reduction in brain volume in the patient with bvFDT and a moderate reduction in the patient with AD. A longitudinal cerebral volume examination showed a lower percentage brain volume change in the patient with bvFTS compared with the patient with AD. Conclusions: Our results suggest that bvFTD has more neurodegenerative progression. MRI findings should be considered as a reliable marker of disease progression in the brain. Our findings offer potential for monitoring treatment outcomes.

Longitudinal analysis of brain atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia

Marino S.
Primo
;
Bonanno L.;Ciurleo R.;Morabito R.;Bramanti P.
2019-01-01

Abstract

Objectives: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) are among the leading causes of early-onset dementia. This study aimed to assess the rate of whole brain atrophy by comparing bvFTD and AD. Methods: Two patients (one man with AD, and one woman with bvFTD) had neuropsychological and neuroimaging assessment by using automated techniques for cross-sectional and longitudinal atrophy measurements. Results: In the patient with AD, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed decreased bilateral hippocampal and mesial-temporal volume. However, conventional images showed no difference between baseline (T0) and after 1 year (T1). In the patient with bvFTD, MRI showed bilateral frontotemporal lobe atrophy and a moderate increase in atrophy between T0 and T1, particularly in the temporal lobes. A cross-sectional cerebral volume examination showed a considerable reduction in brain volume in the patient with bvFDT and a moderate reduction in the patient with AD. A longitudinal cerebral volume examination showed a lower percentage brain volume change in the patient with bvFTS compared with the patient with AD. Conclusions: Our results suggest that bvFTD has more neurodegenerative progression. MRI findings should be considered as a reliable marker of disease progression in the brain. Our findings offer potential for monitoring treatment outcomes.
2019
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11570/3179622
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