Dataset Information

Incidental findings on brain MRI of cognitively normal first-degree descendants of patients with Alzheimer's disease: a cross-sectional analysis from the ALFA (Alzheimer and Families) project.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To describe the prevalence of brain MRI incidental findings (IF) in a cohort of cognitively normal first-degree descendants of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Design

Cross-sectional observational study.

Setting

All scans were obtained with a 3.0 T scanner. Scans were evaluated by a single neuroradiologist and IF recorded and categorised. The presence of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) was determined with the Fazekas scale and reported as relevant if ≥2.

Participants

575 participants (45-75 years) underwent high-resolution structural brain MRI. Participants were cognitively normal and scored over the respective cut-off values in all the following neuropsychological tests: Mini-Mental State Examination (≥26), Memory Impairment Screen (≥6), Time Orientation Subtest of the Barcelona Test II (≥68), verbal semantic fluency (naming animals ≥12). Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) had to be 0.

Results

155 participants (27.0%) presented with at least one IF. Relevant WMH were present in 7.8% of the participants, and vascular abnormalities, cyst and brain volume loss in 10.7%, 3.1% and 6.9% of the study volunteers, respectively. Neoplastic brain findings were found in 2.4% of participants and within these, meningiomas were the most common (1.7%) and more frequently found in women. A positive correlation between increasing age and the presence of IF was found. Additionally, brain atrophy greater than that expected by age was significantly more prevalent in participants without a parental history of AD.

Conclusions

Brain MRIs of healthy middle-aged participants show a relatively high prevalence of IF even when study participants have been screened for subtle cognitive alterations. Most of our participants are first-degree descendants of patients with AD, and therefore these results are of special relevance for novel imaging studies in the context of AD prevention in cognitively healthy middle-aged participants.

Trial registration number

NCT02198586.

SUBMITTER: Brugulat-Serrat A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5372150 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Incidental findings on brain MRI of cognitively normal first-degree descendants of patients with Alzheimer's disease: a cross-sectional analysis from the ALFA (Alzheimer and Families) project.

Brugulat-Serrat Anna A Rojas Santiago S Bargalló Nuria N Conesa Gerardo G Minguillón Carolina C Fauria Karine K Gramunt Nina N Molinuevo José Luis JL Gispert Juan Domingo JD

BMJ open 20170324 3

<h4>Objectives</h4>To describe the prevalence of brain MRI incidental findings (IF) in a cohort of cognitively normal first-degree descendants of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).<h4>Design</h4>Cross-sectional observational study.<h4>Setting</h4>All scans were obtained with a 3.0 T scanner. Scans were evaluated by a single neuroradiologist and IF recorded and categorised. The presence of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) was determined with the Fazekas scale and reported as relevant if ≥ ...[more]

PMID: 28341686

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Project description:ImportanceRetinal biomarkers reflecting in vivo brain Alzheimer disease (AD) pathologic abnormalities could be a useful tool for screening cognitively normal (CN) individuals at the preclinical stage of AD.ObjectivesTo investigate the association of both functional and structural alterations of the retina with in vivo AD pathologic abnormalities in CN older adults and model a screening tool for detection of preclinical AD.Design, setting, and participantsThis cross-sectional study included a total of 49 CN individuals, and all assessment was done at the Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. All participants underwent complete ophthalmic examination, including swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) and multifocal electroretinogram as well as amyloid-β (Aβ) positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Data were collected from January 1, 2016, through October 31, 2017, and analyzed from February 1, 2018, through June 30, 2020.Main outcomes and measuresFor structural parameters of the retina, the thickness of the macula and layer-specific thicknesses, including peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer measured by SS-OCT, were used for analysis. For functional parameters of the retina, implicit time and amplitude of rings 1 to 6 measured by multifocal electroretinogram were used.ResultsOf the 49 participants, 25 were women (51.0%); mean (SD) age was 70.6 (9.4) years. Compared with 33 CN individuals without Aβ deposition (Aβ-CN), the 16 participants with Aβ (Aβ+CN) showed reduced inner nasal macular thickness (mean [SD], 308.9 [18.4] vs 286.1 [22.5] μm; P = .007) and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, particularly in the inferior quadrant (133.8 [17.9] vs 103.8 [43.5] μm; P = .003). In addition, the Aβ+CN group showed prolonged implicit time compared with the Aβ-CN group, particularly in ring 5 (41.3 [4.0] vs 38.2 [1.3] milliseconds; P = .002). AD-related neurodegeneration was correlated with the thickness of the ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer only (r = 0.41, P = .005). The model to differentiate the Aβ+CN vs Aβ-CN groups derived from the results showed 90% accuracy.Conclusions and relevanceThe findings of this study showing both functional as well as structural changes of retina measured by multifocal electroretinogram and SS-OCT in preclinical AD suggest the potential use of retinal biomarkers as a tool for early detection of in vivo AD pathologic abnormalities in CN older adults.

Dataset Information

Incidental findings on brain MRI of cognitively normal first-degree descendants of patients with Alzheimer's disease: a cross-sectional analysis from the ALFA (Alzheimer and Families) project.

Objectives

Design

Setting

Participants

Results

Conclusions

Trial registration number

Publications

Incidental findings on brain MRI of cognitively normal first-degree descendants of patients with Alzheimer's disease: a cross-sectional analysis from the ALFA (Alzheimer and Families) project.

Similar Datasets

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