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[P‐093]: fMRI of language and semantic memory in amnestic mild cognitive impairment
Author(s) -
Vandenberghe Rik,
Vandenbulcke Mathieu,
Peeters Ronald,
Vanhecke Paul
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2005.06.167
Subject(s) - audiology , psychology , semantic memory , cognition , episodic memory , cognitive psychology , neuroscience , medicine
Objective(s): To evaluate the potential effects of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) on brain morphology in a sample of healthy postmenopausal women. Methods: Forty women underwent 3D high resolution MRI: 17 never treated (age 60.8 6.6), 16 with current ERT (age: 57.4 4.3), 7 with past ERT of the same duration (age 63 3.5). Voxel-based morphometry with SPM99 was used to compare women under past and current ERT to those never treated, with p 0.001 uncorrected. Conclusions: Non treated versus women with past treatment (fig 1) showed atrophy of the leftcerebellum [z, cluster size (peak coordinates): 3.74, 437 (-38, -72, -26)], of bilateral temporal [right: 3.83, 142 (58, -44, 4), left: 3.58, 27 (-54, -8, 28)] and right orbitofrontal cortex [3.68, 123 (38, 42, 14)]. Non treated versus women with current treatment (fig 2) showed a similar pattern, but mainly limited to the right hemisphere: right orbitofrontal cortex [4.06, 178 (32, 38, -14)], right lingual gyrus and cerebellum [4.02, 209 (44, -34, -20); (32, -34, -30)], and extended to the occipital cortex [3.83, 159 (10, -98, 0)]. The use of ERT was associated with less regional brain atrophy, and the effect seems to be stronger in women with past treatment. The data support the view that ERT can protect against age-related neurodegeneration and cognitive decline.