Bing Zhang PhD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Xin Zhang MD, MS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Ming Li, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jun Xu MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Lai Qian MS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Fei Chen MS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Huiting Wang MS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Hui Zhao MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

yun xu, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Bin Zhu, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

We analyzed the two subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), namely behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by identifying patterns of cortical atrophy to provide an objective basis for early diagnosis and differential diagnosis.

A total of 83 patients were enrolled in this study and there were 30 patients with cognitively normal controls (CN), 30 with AD and 23 with FTLD (10 with bvFTD, 13 with PPA). Philips 3.0T TX scanner and 8 channel head coil was employed. 3DT1TFE sequence with high resolution was used to calculate the volume of gray matter. 3DT1TFE images were normalized and segmented into grey matter map for statistical analysis by SPM8 and VBM8. The false discovery rate (FDR) was adopted in P value adjustment, P<0.001, Xjview was used to show the statistical map between group, and cluster size was set at 5. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) was set at 4 mm for the Smooth.

In bvFTD, PPA and AD groups, there were diffuse volume reduced in cerebral cortex and subcortical structures (such as the hippocampus, the amygdala, the caudate nuclei, et al). The most obvious atrophy parts in bvFTD and PPA group was found in the frontotemporal. Compared with AD, the obvious grey matter atrophy pattern in bvFTD was found in brain regions including: bilateral temporal lobe, bilateral superior temporal pole gyrus, bilateral middle temporal pole gyrus right fusiform gyrus and bilateral frontal lobe. Among them, temporal lobe atrophy has obvious right partial lateralizing (P < 0.05). The left temporooccipital lobe atrophy was more obvious than the right in PPA (P < 0.05).

There were different brain gray matter atrophy patterns in bvFTD, PPA and AD. Among them, bvFTD had asymmetric right frontal and temporal lobe atrophy, and related to characteristic personality changes. Otherewise, the asymmetric atrophy in left temporooccipital lobe explained the aphasis of patients with PPA.

Structural MRI can demostrate atrophy pattern of the brain in FTLD and AD.

Zhang, B, Zhang, X, Li, M, Xu, J, Qian, L, Chen, F, Wang, H, Zhao, H, xu, y, Zhu, B, The Atrophy Pattern in the Subtypes of FTLD and AD by Structural MRI.  Radiological Society of North America 2012 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2012 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2012/12020981.html