title: Left anterior temporal lobe sustains naming in Alzheimer's dementia and mild cognitive impairment.
abstract: Cognitive decline in degenerative dementia is paralleled by progressive brain atrophy, with the localization of atrophy reflecting specific cognitive impairment. Confrontation naming deficits are frequently observed in dementia across etiologies. In this study we aimed to identify the brain regions underlying this deficit. In patients with clinically diagnosed dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) we investigated the relationship between gray matter volume (GMV) and performance on a standardized confrontation naming test. 268 patients with one of three probable etiologies were included: Alzheimer's Dementia (AD), AD with signs of cerebrovascular pathology, and frontotemporal dementia. Applying voxel-based morphometry using a diffeomorphic registration algorithm we contrasted GMV of patients performing within the normal range with those of patients with pathological performance. Further, differential effects of gray matter atrophy on impaired performance in AD versus MCI of AD type were investigated. Results revealed significantly reduced GMV in the left anterior temporal lobe (ATL) in pathological performers compared to normal performers. The subgroup analysis confined to MCI of AD type and AD patients confirmed this relationship. While left ATL atrophy is known to be implicated in naming deficits in semantic dementia, our data confirm the same in AD and MCI of AD type.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Center of Geriatrics and Gerontology Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Germany. lars.frings@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors: Lars
authors: L
authors: Frings
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Klöppel
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Teipel
authors: Oliver
authors: O
authors: Peters
authors: Lutz
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authors: Frölich
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Pantel
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Schröder
authors: Hermann-Josef
authors: HJ
authors: Gertz
authors: Sönke
authors: S
authors: Arlt
authors: Isabella
authors: I
authors: Heuser
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Kornhuber
authors: Jens
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authors: Wiltfang
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Maier
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Jessen
authors: Harald
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authors: Hampel
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Hüll