Open AccessCerebral atrophy in mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review with meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
TabatabaeiJafari Hossein,
Shaw Marnie E.,
Cherbuin Nicolas
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia: diagnosis, assessment and disease monitoring
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.497
H-Index - 37
ISSN - 2352-8729
DOI - 10.1016/j.dadm.2015.11.002
Subject(s) - atrophy , entorhinal cortex , meta analysis , temporal lobe , cognition , brain size , dementia , cognitive impairment , medicine , hippocampus , psychology , neuroscience , clinical psychology , pathology , magnetic resonance imaging , disease , epilepsy , radiology
Although mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis is mainly based on cognitive assessment, reliable estimates of structural changes in specific brain regions, that could be contrasted against normal brain aging and inform diagnosis, are lacking. This study aimed to systematically review the literature reporting on MCI‐related brain changes. Methods The MEDLINE database was searched for studies investigating longitudinal structural changes in MCI. Studies with compatible data were included in the meta‐analyses. A qualitative review was conducted for studies excluded from meta‐analyses. Results The analyses revealed a 2.2‐fold higher volume loss in the hippocampus, 1.8‐fold in the whole brain, and 1.5‐fold in the entorhinal cortex in MCI participants. Discussion Although the medial temporal lobe is likely to be more vulnerable to MCI pathology, atrophy in this brain area represents a relatively small proportion of whole brain loss, suggesting that future investigations are needed to identify the source of unaccounted volume loss in MCI.