Home › Research › Brain scans and imaging
Anatomical differences between CBS-corticobasal degeneration and CBS-Alzheimer's disease
Josephs KA, Whitwell JL, Boeve BF, Knopman DS, Petersen RC, Hu WT, Parisi JE, Dickson DW et al.. Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society, 2010-07-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
We compare patterns of gray matter loss on MRI in subjects presenting as corticobasal syndrome (CBS) with Alzheimer disease pathology (CBS-AD) to those presenting as CBS with corticobasal degeneration pathology (CBS-CBD). Voxel-based morphometry was used to compare patterns of gray matter loss in pathologically confirmed CBS-AD subjects (n = 5) and CBS-CBD subjects (n = 6) to a group of healthy controls (n = 20), and to each other. Atlas based parcellation using the automated anatomic labeling atlas was also utilized in a region-of-interest analysis to account for laterality. The CBS-AD subjects were younger at the time of scan when compared with CBS-CBD subjects (median: 60 years vs. 69; P = 0.04). After adjusting for age at time of MRI scan, the CBS-AD subjects showed loss in posterior frontal, temporal, and superior and inferior parietal lobes, while CBS-CBD showed more focal loss predominantly in the posterior frontal lobes when compared with controls. In both CBS-AD and CBS-CBD groups, there was basal ganglia volume loss, yet relative sparing of hippocampi. On direct comparisons between the two subject groups, CBS-AD showed greater loss in both temporal and inferior parietal cortices than CBS-CBD. No regions showed greater loss in the CBS-CBD group compared to the CBS-AD group. These findings persisted when laterality was taken into account. In subjects presenting with CBS, prominent temporoparietal, especially posterior temporal and inferior parietal, atrophy may be a clue to the presence of underlying AD pathology.
Key findings
- The CBS-AD subjects were younger at the time of scan when compared with CBS-CBD subjects (median: 60 years vs. 69; P = 0.04).
- After adjusting for age at time of MRI scan, the CBS-AD subjects showed loss in posterior frontal, temporal, and superior and inferior parietal lobes, while CBS-CBD showed more focal loss predominantly in the posterior frontal lobes when compared with controls.
- No regions showed greater loss in the CBS-CBD group compared to the CBS-AD group.
- These findings persisted when laterality was taken into account.
Why it matters
This small study of pathologically confirmed cases compared patterns of gray matter loss on MRI between people with corticobasal syndrome who had Alzheimer disease pathology and those who had corticobasal degeneration pathology. It is about distinguishing these conditions using imaging, not about treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Brain scans & tests →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Movement Disorders: journal h-index 281 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2010 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 86 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.8 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 14 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Clifford R. Jack: h-index 203 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Mayo Clinic: institution h-index 1,606 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20629131) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Josephs, K. A., Whitwell, J. L., Boeve, B. F., Knopman, D. S., Petersen, R. C., Hu, W. T., et al. (2010). Anatomical differences between CBS-corticobasal degeneration and CBS-Alzheimer's disease. Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.23062
Vancouver
Josephs KA, Whitwell JL, Boeve BF, Knopman DS, Petersen RC, Hu WT, et al. Anatomical differences between CBS-corticobasal degeneration and CBS-Alzheimer's disease. Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 2010. doi:10.1002/mds.23062. PMID: 20629131.
BibTeX
@article{josephs2010-20629131,
author = {Josephs, K. A. and Whitwell, J. L. and Boeve, B. F. and Knopman, D. S. and Petersen, R. C. and Hu, W. T. and Parisi, J. E. and Dickson, D. W. and others},
title = {{Anatomical differences between CBS-corticobasal degeneration and CBS-Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1002/mds.23062},
pmid = {20629131},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.23062}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 13.
Later studies that cite this one
3 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Brain scans and imaging
Also tagged “cerebral”
900 studies in the library carry the topic tag “cerebral”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 900 tagged studies.