title: Voxel-based morphometry study on monozygotic twins discordant for Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We set to investigate the possible role of genes and environment in developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) in monozygotic twin pairs discordant for AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three pairs of twins discordant for AD, who were enrolled in the Finnish Twin Cohort, were used in the study and compared with 13 controls. Gray matter changes were assessed with magnetic resonance images using voxel-based morphometry with statistical parametric mapping.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the affected twins, the peaks of volume loss were located bilaterally in the temporal (including the hippocampus), the frontal, and the parietal lobes, while in the unaffected siblings, the peaks were located in the frontal gyri and in the parietal lobule. Thus, in the unaffected twins, the pattern of volume loss overlaps with the neocortical but not with the medial temporal areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that genetic factors more largely control neocortical regions, whereas environmental factors more strongly affect medial temporal regions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology Neuroimaging and Telemedicine, IRCCS - Centro San Giovanni di Dio FBF, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology Neuroimaging and Telemedicine, IRCCS - Centro San Giovanni di Dio FBF, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pievani
authors.affiliation: Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.|Department of Neurology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Järvenpää
authors.affiliation: Machine Vision Laboratory, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koskenvuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.|Turku City Hospital, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Räihä
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaprio
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology Neuroimaging and Telemedicine, IRCCS - Centro San Giovanni di Dio FBF, Brescia, Italy.|AFaR Associazione Fatebenefratelli per la Ricerca, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Frisoni
authors.affiliation: Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Rinne
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.|Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.|Vanha Vaasa Hospital, Vaasa, Finland.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Laakso
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: alzheimer's disease; dementia; environment; genetics; magnetic resonance imaging; twins; voxel-based morphometry