Hippocampal Subfield Volumetry: Differential Pattern of Atrophy in Different Forms of Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder, with a strong genetic component. Previous research has shown that medial temporal lobe atrophy is a common feature of FTD. However, no study has so far investigated the differential vulnerability of the hippocampal subfields in FTD.

Objectives

We aimed to investigate hippocampal subfield volumes in genetic FTD.

Methods

We in6/2/2018vestigated hippocampal subfield volumes in a cohort of 75 patients with genetic FTD (age: mean (standard deviation) 59.3 (7.7) years; disease duration: 5.1 (3.4) years; 29 with MAPT, 28 with C9orf72, and 18 with GRN mutations) compared with 97 age-matched controls (age: 62.1 (11.1) years). We performed a segmentation of their volumetric T1-weighted MRI scans to extract hippocampal subfields volumes. Left and right volumes were summed and corrected for total intracranial volumes.

Results

All three groups had smaller hippocampi than controls. The MAPT group had the most atrophic hippocampi, with the subfields showing the largest difference from controls being CA1-4 (24-27%, p < 0.0005). For C9orf72, the CA4, CA1, and dentate gyrus regions (8-11%, p < 0.0005), and for GRN the presubiculum and subiculum (10-14%, p < 0.0005) showed the largest differences from controls.

Conclusions

The hippocampus was affected in all mutation types but a different pattern of subfield involvement was found in the three genetic groups, consistent with differential cortical-subcortical network vulnerability.

SUBMITTER: Bocchetta M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6027942 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature