The Radial Width of the Temporal Horn in Mild Cognitive Impairment |
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Authors: | Giovanni B Frisoni Roberta Rossi Alberto Beltramello |
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Institution: | Laboratory of Epidemiology and Neuroimaging, IRCCS San Giovanni di Dio FBF-National Center for Research and Care of Alzheimer's Disease, via Pilastroni 4, 25125-Brescia, Italy. papers@centroalzheimer.it |
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Abstract: | BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The diagnosis of preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) (or mild cognitive impairment MCI]) is loaded with a high degree of uncertainty. The aim was to test the accuracy of a computed tomography-based (CT-based) marker of medial temporal lobe atrophy, the radial width of the temporal horn (rWTH), in MCI. METHODS: Ten MCI and 42 AD patients and 29 nondemented controls underwent brain CT on the temporal lobe plane (slice thickness = 2 mm). The rWTH was taken on CT films with a precision caliper placed at the tip of the temporal horn radial to the curvature of the hippocampal head region. RESULTS: When specificity was fixed at 95%, the sensitivity for the detection of AD was 39/42 (93%) and that for the detection of MCI was 8/10 (80%). CONCLUSION: The rWTH is a measure sensitive to the regional brain atrophy common in early AD. |
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Keywords: | mild cognitive impairment diagnosis computed tomography medial temporal lobe temporal horn |
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