Epicentral disruption of structural connectivity in Alzheimer's disease.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Neurodegenerative changes observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been suggested to begin at the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus and then to propagate in a stereotypical fashion. Using diffusion-weighted imaging, we test whether disruption of structural connectivity in AD is centered on these "epicenters of disease".

Methods

Fifteen healthy controls, 14 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), 13 mild, and 15 moderate patients with AD were enrolled. The percentages of affected connections directly linking to the epicenter (named first ring) and to nodes with topological distance 2 from the epicenter (named second ring) were calculated.

Results

For the group of aMCI patients, just 5.3% of the first ring (n.s.) and 2.9% of the second ring (n.s.) connections w

SUBMITTER: Mallio CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6493130 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature