title: Neuroanatomical and Neuropsychological Markers of Amnestic MCI: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study in Individuals Unaware of Cognitive Decline.
abstract: Structural brain changes underlying mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have been well-researched, but most previous studies required subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) as a diagnostic criterion, diagnosed MCI based on a single screening test or lacked analyses in relation to neuropsychological impairment. This longitudinal voxel-based morphometry study aimed to overcome these limitations: The relationship between regional gray matter (GM) atrophy and behavioral performance was investigated over the course of 3 years in individuals unaware of cognitive decline, identified as amnestic MCI based on an extensive neuropsychological test battery. Region of interest analyses revealed GM atrophy in the left amygdala, hippocampus, and parahippocampus in MCI individuals compared to normally aging participants, which was specifically related to verbal memory impairment and evident already at the first measurement point. These findings demonstrate that GM atrophy is detectable in individuals with amnestic MCI despite unawareness of beginning cognitive decline. Thus, individuals with GM atrophy in regions associated with verbal memory impairment do not necessarily need to experience SCC before meeting neuropsychological criteria for MCI. These results have important implications for future research and diagnostic procedures of MCI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Goerlich
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany; Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) - Translational Brain MedicineAachen, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-10), Research Centre JülichJülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Mikhail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Votinov
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany; Alzheimer Center and Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical CenterAmsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dicks
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sinika
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ellendt
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Csukly
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany; Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) - Translational Brain MedicineAachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Habel
keywords: amygdala; gray matter atrophy; hippocampus; longitudinal; mild cognitive impairment; subjective cognitive complaints; voxel-based morphometry