The Italian Brain Normative Archive of structural MR scans: norms for medial temporal atrophy and white matter lesions.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical and neuropsychological features of a large group of cognitively intact persons subjected to brain high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR), to compare them with the general population, and to set norms for medial temporal atrophy and white matter lesions.


METHODS
Participants in the Italian Brain Normative Archive (IBNA) study were 483 consecutive volunteers undergoing MR for reasons unrelated to cognition (migraine or headache, visual and balance or auditory disturbances, paresthesias, and others) and showing no brain damage. Manual tracing of hippocampal and amygdalar volumes and visual rating of white matter lesions were made. The whole study group was stratified by age (</=60 and 60+ yrs) and by the reason for MR prescription.


RESULTS
In the whole group, mean age and education were 52.4+/-13.7 and 9.8+/-4.2 years, respectively, and the prevalence of women was 63%. Clinical, neuropsychological and morphometric features were similar in the stratified subgroups. Neuropsychological features were those expected for age and education based on Italian normative values. Hippocampal and amygdalar volumes were not associated with age, except for the right amygdala (B -0.159, 95% CI -0.28 to -0.03, p=0.016).


CONCLUSIONS
Persons in the IBNA study had clinical and neuropsychological features consistent with that of the general population. Their brain morphometric features may be used as normative references for patients with suspected neurodegenerative disorders.
Galluzzi
Samantha
S
LENITEM - Laboratory of Epidemiology, Neuroimaging and Telemedicine, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, via Pilastroni 4, 25125 Brescia, Italy.
Testa
Cristina
C
Boccardi
Marina
M
Bresciani
Lorena
L
Benussi
Luisa
L
Ghidoni
Roberta
R
Beltramello
Alberto
A
Bonetti
Matteo
M
Bono
Giorgio
G
Falini
Andrea
A
Magnani
Giuseppe
G
Minonzio
Giorgio
G
Piovan
Enrico
E
Binetti
Giuliano
G
Frisoni
Giovanni B
GB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000679:Amygdala / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007558:Italy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D055815:Young Adult
D004247:DNA