title: Hippocampal volume is related to cognitive decline and fornicial diffusion measures in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess for associations between hippocampal atrophy and measures of cognitive function, hippocampal magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), and diffusion measures of the fornix, the largest efferent white matter tract from the hippocampus, in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 53 patients with MS and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls participated in cognitive testing and scanning including high spatial-resolution diffusion imaging and a T1-MPRAGE scan. Hippocampal volume and fornicial thickness measures were calculated and compared to mean values of fornicial transverse diffusivity, mean diffusivity, longitudinal diffusivity, fractional anisotropy, mean hippocampal MTR, and scores on measures of episodic memory, processing speed, and working memory tasks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with MS, hippocampal volume was significantly related to fornicial diffusion measures (P<7×10(-4)) and to measures of verbal (P=0.030) and visual spatial (P=0.004) episodic memory and a measure of information processing speed (P<0.037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results highlight the role of the hippocampus in cognitive dysfunction in patients with MS and suggest that measures of hippocampal atrophy could be used to capture aspects of disease progression.
authors: Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA. Electronic address: koenigk@ccf.org.
authors: Katherine A
authors: KA
authors: Koenig
authors: Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Ken E
authors: KE
authors: Sakaie
authors: Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Mark J
authors: MJ
authors: Lowe
authors: Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Jian
authors: J
authors: Lin
authors: Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Lael
authors: L
authors: Stone
authors: Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Robert A
authors: RA
authors: Bermel
authors: Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Erik B
authors: EB
authors: Beall
authors: Schey Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Stephen M
authors: SM
authors: Rao
authors: Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Bruce D
authors: BD
authors: Trapp
authors: Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Micheal D
authors: MD
authors: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D020712:Fornix, Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Atrophy; DTI; Episodic memory; Fornix; Hippocampus; Multiple Sclerosis