title: Magnetic resonance analysis of amygdalar volume in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  With the rising prevalence of Alzheimer's disease, there is an increasing need for better comprehension of its pathophysiology. The purpose of this article is to review recent studies investigating the association between amygdalar volume and clinical symptoms in Alzheimer's disease. The first part describes the technique of MRI segmentation of amygdala. The advantages and risks of various segmentation techniques are noted. In the second part, the role of amygdalar volume in the assessment of clinical diagnosis is discussed. The third part encounters the relationship between the amygdalar atrophy and its neuropsychological correlates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Numerous MRI studies showed the same degree of hippocampal and amygdalar volume loss. MRI volumetry of the amygdala may be relevant as a marker of dementia severity in Alzheimer's disease. Asymmetry in amygdalar atrophy is useful in separating Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. There has been a lack of direct relationship between the atrophy of amygdala and neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although time-consuming, the manual tracing represents the golden standard in MRI volumetry of amygdala. The pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease is complex and their manifestation is therefore not attributable to the amygdalar atrophy only.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathological Physiology, Department of Neurology, 2nd School of Medicine, Czech Republic cDepartment of Neurosurgery, 1st School of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. daniel.horinek@uvn.cz
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Horínek
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varjassyová
authors.forename: Jakub
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hort
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology*; D001284:Atrophy; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity