Advanced 3D mapping technique captures brain damage linked to Alzheimer's disease

Using an advanced three-dimensional mapping technique developed by UCLA researchers, the team analyzed magnetic resonance imaging data from 24 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 25 others with mild Alzheimer's disease.

Patients in both categories exhibit progressive brain atrophy, with most MCI patients showing the pathologic changes characteristic of Alzheimer's. MCI patients slip into dementia at a rate of 10 to 15 percent each year. The research team found that patients with mild Alzheimer's had 10 to 20 percent more atrophy in most cortical areas than did MCI patients.

IMPACT: The research showed the striking differences in cortical damage between amnestic MCI and mild Alzheimer's, and demonstrated that this innovative three-dimensional mapping technique greatly outperforms other popular 3D imaging techniques such as voxel based morphometry.

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