Clinical-neuroimaging characteristics of dysexecutive mild cognitive impairment†
Judy Pa PhD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Search for more papers by this authorAdam Boxer MD, PhD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Search for more papers by this authorLinda L. Chao PhD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Search for more papers by this authorAdam Gazzaley MD, PhD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Search for more papers by this authorKatie Freeman BS
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Search for more papers by this authorJoel Kramer PsyD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Search for more papers by this authorBruce L. Miller MD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Search for more papers by this authorMichael W. Weiner MD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Search for more papers by this authorJohn Neuhaus PhD
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Julene K. Johnson PhD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
UCSF Memory and Aging Center, 350 Parnassus, Suite 905, San Francisco, CA 94117Search for more papers by this authorJudy Pa PhD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Search for more papers by this authorAdam Boxer MD, PhD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Search for more papers by this authorLinda L. Chao PhD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Search for more papers by this authorAdam Gazzaley MD, PhD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Search for more papers by this authorKatie Freeman BS
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Search for more papers by this authorJoel Kramer PsyD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Search for more papers by this authorBruce L. Miller MD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Search for more papers by this authorMichael W. Weiner MD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Search for more papers by this authorJohn Neuhaus PhD
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Julene K. Johnson PhD
Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
UCSF Memory and Aging Center, 350 Parnassus, Suite 905, San Francisco, CA 94117Search for more papers by this authorPotential conflict of interest: Nothing to report.
Abstract
Objective
Subgroups of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have been proposed, but few studies have investigated the nonamnestic, single-domain subgroup of MCI. The goal of the study was to compare clinical and neuroimaging characteristics of two single-domain MCI subgroups: amnestic MCI and dysexecutive MCI.
Methods
We compared the cognitive, functional, behavioral, and brain imaging characteristics of patients with amnestic MCI (n = 26), patients with dysexecutive MCI (n = 32), and age- and education-matched control subjects (n = 36) using analysis of variance and χ2 tests. We used voxel-based morphometry to examine group differences in brain magnetic resonance imaging atrophy patterns.
Results
Patients with dysexecutive MCI had significantly lower scores on the majority of executive function tests, increased behavioral symptoms, and left prefrontal cortex atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging when compared with control subjects. In contrast, patients with amnestic MCI had significantly lower scores on tests of memory and a pattern of atrophy including bilateral hippocampi and entorhinal cortex, right inferior parietal cortex, and posterior cingulate gyrus when compared with control subjects.
Interpretation
Overall, the clinical and neuroimaging findings provide support for two distinct single-domain subgroups of MCI, one involving executive function and the other involving memory. The brain imaging differences suggest that the two MCI subgroups have distinct patterns of brain atrophy. Ann Neurol 2009;65:414–423
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