Basal forebrain atrophy is a distinctive pattern in dementia with Lewy bodies.
We determined brain atrophy patterns in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease using voxel-based morphometry, an indirect volumetry. Ten patients with dementia with Lewy bodies, 10 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 10 controls were included. All groups were matched for age; sex and global differences in voxel intensities were included as confounding covariates. We observed basal forebrain atrophy discriminating dementia with Lewy bodies from Alzheimer's disease. Compared to controls, atrophy of lateral prefrontal cortex and left premotor cortex was seen in dementia with Lewy bodies whereas atrophy of the medial temporal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, thalamus and temporo-occipital areas was observed in Alzheimer's disease. Atrophy of insular cortex was found in both patient groups.
Brenneis
Christian
C
Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. christian.brenneis@uibk.ac.at
Wenning
Gregor K
GK
Egger
Karl E
KE
Schocke
Michael
M
Trieb
Thomas
T
Seppi
Klaus
K
Marksteiner
Josef
J
Ransmayr
Gerhard
G
Benke
Thomas
T
Poewe
Werner
W
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology; D001284:Atrophy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000473:pathology*