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Different regional patterns of cortical thinning in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia
Du AT, Schuff N, Kramer JH, Rosen HJ, Gorno-Tempini ML, Rankin K, Miller BL, Weiner MW.. Brain : a journal of neurology, 2007-03-12
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) can be difficult to differentiate clinically because of overlapping symptoms. Distinguishing the two dementias based on volumetric measurements of brain atrophy with MRI has been only partially successful. Whether MRI measurements of cortical thinning improve the differentiation between Alzheimer's disease and FTD is unclear. In this study, we measured cortical thickness using a set of automated tools (Freesurfer) to reconstruct the brain's cortical surface from T1-weighted structural MRI data in 22 patients with Alzheimer's disease, 19 patients with FTD and 23 cognitively normal subjects. The goals were to detect the characteristic patterns of cortical thinning in these two types of dementia, to test the relationship between cortical thickness and cognitive impairment, to determine if measurement of cortical thickness is better than that of cortical volume for differentiating between these dementias and normal ageing and improving the classification of Alzheimer's disease and FTD based on neuropsychological scores alone. Compared to cognitively normal subjects, Alzheimer's disease patients had a thinner cortex primarily in bilateral, frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes (P < 0.001), while FTD patients had a thinner cortex in bilateral, frontal and temporal regions and some thinning in inferior parietal regions and the posterior cingulate (P < 0.001). Compared to FTD patients, Alzheimer's disease patients had a thinner cortex (P < 0.001) in parts of bilateral parietal and precuneus regions. Cognitive impairment was negatively correlated with cortical thickness of frontal, parietal and temporal lobes in Alzheimer's disease, while similar correlations were not significant in FTD. Measurement of cortical thickness was similar to that of cortical volume in differentiating between normal ageing, Alzheimer's disease and FTD. Furthermore, cortical thickness measurements significantly improved the classification between Alzheimer's disease and FTD based on neuropsychological scores alone, including the Mini-Mental State Examination and a modified version of the Trail-Making Test. In conclusion, the characteristic patterns of cortical thinning in Alzheimer's disease and FTD suggest that cortical thickness may be a useful surrogate marker for these types of dementia.
Key findings
- Compared to cognitively normal subjects, Alzheimer's disease patients had a thinner cortex primarily in bilateral, frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes (P < 0.001), while FTD patients had a thinner cortex in bilateral, frontal and temporal regions and some thinning in inferior parietal regions and the posterior cingulate (P < 0.001).
- Compared to FTD patients, Alzheimer's disease patients had a thinner cortex (P < 0.001) in parts of bilateral parietal and precuneus regions.
- Cognitive impairment was negatively correlated with cortical thickness of frontal, parietal and temporal lobes in Alzheimer's disease, while similar correlations were not significant in FTD.
- Furthermore, cortical thickness measurements significantly improved the classification between Alzheimer's disease and FTD based on neuropsychological scores alone, including the Mini-Mental State Examination and a modified version of the Trail-Making Test.
- In conclusion, the characteristic patterns of cortical thinning in Alzheimer's disease and FTD suggest that cortical thickness may be a useful surrogate marker for these types of dementia.
Why it matters
This imaging study found different patterns of cortical thinning in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia and that cortical thickness related to cognitive impairment. It is about improving diagnosis, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants22
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 56/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Brain : a journal of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Brain: journal h-index 503 (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 | 2007 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 22 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 485 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 23.1 citations a year over 21 year(s) since 2007 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 16 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 56 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Michael W. Weiner: h-index 46 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of California, San Francisco: institution h-index 1,915 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17353226) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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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 names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Du, A. T., Schuff, N., Kramer, J. H., Rosen, H. J., Gorno-Tempini, M. L., Rankin, K., et al. (2007). Different regional patterns of cortical thinning in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. Brain : a journal of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awm016
Vancouver
Du AT, Schuff N, Kramer JH, Rosen HJ, Gorno-Tempini ML, Rankin K, et al. Different regional patterns of cortical thinning in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. Brain : a journal of neurology. 2007. doi:10.1093/brain/awm016. PMID: 17353226.
BibTeX
@article{du2007-17353226,
author = {Du, A. T. and Schuff, N. and Kramer, J. H. and Rosen, H. J. and Gorno-Tempini, M. L. and Rankin, K. and Miller, B. L. and Weiner, M. W.},
title = {{Different regional patterns of cortical thinning in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia}},
journal = {Brain : a journal of neurology},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1093/brain/awm016},
pmid = {17353226},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awm016}
}
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