Diagnostic utility of brain MRI volumetry in comparing traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer disease and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia.
Publication Title
BMC neurology [electronic resource]
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-11-2024
Keywords
california; santa monica; pni; sjci; Humans; Female; Male; Alzheimer Disease; Frontotemporal Dementia; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Middle Aged; Brain Injuries, Traumatic; Aged; Brain; Adult; Atrophy; Diagnosis, Differential
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Brain MRI with volumetric quantification, MRI volumetry, can improve diagnostic delineation of patients with neurocognitive disorders by identifying brain atrophy that may not be evident on visual assessments.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate diagnostic utility of MRI volumetry in traumatic brain injury (TBI), early-onset Alzheimer disease (EOAD), late-onset Alzheimer disease, and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD).
METHOD: We utilized 137 participants of TBI (n = 40), EOAD (n = 45), LOAD (n = 32), and bvFTD (n = 20). Participants had 3D T1 brain MRI imaging amendable to MRI volumetry. Scan volumes were analyzed with Neuroreader. One-way ANOVA compared brain volumes across diagnostic groups. Discriminant analysis was done with leave-one-out cross validation on Neuroreader metrics to determine diagnostic delineation across groups.
RESULT: LOAD was the oldest compared to other groups (F = 27.5, p < .001). There were no statistically significant differences in sex (p = .58) with women comprising 54.7% of the entire cohort. EOAD and LOAD had the lowest Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) scores compared to TBI (p = .04 for EOAD and p = .01 for LOAD). LOAD had lowest hippocampal volumes (Left Hippocampus F = 13.1, Right Hippocampus F = 7.3, p < .001), low white matter volume in TBI (F = 5.9, p < .001), lower left parietal lobe volume in EOAD (F = 9.4, p < .001), and lower total gray matter volume in bvFTD (F = 32.8, p < .001) and caudate atrophy (F = 1737.5, p < .001). Areas under the curve ranged from 92.3 to 100%, sensitivity between 82.2 and 100%, specificity of 78.1-100%. TBI was the most accurately delineated diagnosis. Predictive features included caudate, frontal, parietal, temporal lobar and total white matter volumes.
CONCLUSION: We identified the diagnostic utility of regional volumetric differences across multiple neurocognitive disorders. Brain MRI volumetry is widely available and can be applied in distinguishing these disorders.
Clinical Institute
Neurosciences (Brain & Spine)
Clinical Institute
Mental Health
Specialty/Research Institute
Behavioral Health
Specialty/Research Institute
Neurosciences
DOI
10.1186/s12883-024-03844-4
