title: Atrophy of the substantia innominata on magnetic resonance imaging and response to donepezil treatment in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Atrophy of the substantia innominata on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), reflecting degeneration of cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert, may be an in vivo marker of cholinergic damage. We attempted to investigate whether the MRI features of the substantia innominata predict response to donepezil treatment in Alzheimer's patients. The thickness of the substantia innominata was measured on the coronal T2-weighted MRI through the anterior commissure. Seventy-two patients treated with donepezil were divided into the two groups (responders and non-responders) based on changes in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores from baseline to study endpoint. Atrophy of the substantia innominata was more pronounced in responders than non-responders. There was a significant inverse correlation between thickness of the substantia innominata and MMSE changes. MRI analysis of the substantia innominata may be a simple and practical method for the selection of possible treatment responders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan. hanyu@mb.kcom.ne.jp
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hanyu
authors.forename: Yuriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takasaki
authors.forename: Kimihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001284:Atrophy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077265:Donepezil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018579:Patient Selection; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013377:Substantia Innominata / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil; D000109:Acetylcholine