Home › Research › Getting a diagnosis
Structural imaging of hippocampal subfields in healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease
de Flores R, La Joie R, Chételat G.. Neuroscience, 2015-08-22
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Hippocampal atrophy, as evidenced using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is one of the most validated, easily accessible and widely used biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, its imperfect sensitivity and specificity have highlighted the need to improve the analysis of MRI data. Based on neuropathological data showing a differential vulnerability of hippocampal subfields to AD processes, neuroimaging researchers have tried to capture corresponding morphological changes within the hippocampus. The present review provides an overview of the methodological developments that allow the assessment of hippocampal subfield morphology in vivo, and summarizes the results of studies looking at the effects of AD and normal aging on these structures. Most studies highlighted a focal atrophy of the CA1 subfield in the early (predementia or even preclinical) stages of AD, before atrophy becomes more widespread at the dementia stage, consistent with the pathological literature. Preliminary studies have indicated that looking at this focal atrophy pattern rather than standard whole hippocampus volumetry improves diagnostic accuracy at the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage. However, controversies remain regarding changes in hippocampal subfield structure in normal aging and regarding correlations between specific subfield volume and memory abilities, very likely because of the strong methodological variability between studies. Overall, hippocampal subfield analysis has proven to be a promising technique in the study of AD. However, harmonization of segmentation protocols and studies on larger samples are needed to enable accurate comparisons between studies and to confirm the clinical utility of these techniques.
Key findings
- The present review provides an overview of the methodological developments that allow the assessment of hippocampal subfield morphology in vivo, and summarizes the results of studies looking at the effects of AD and normal aging on these structures.
- Preliminary studies have indicated that looking at this focal atrophy pattern rather than standard whole hippocampus volumetry improves diagnostic accuracy at the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage.
- Overall, hippocampal subfield analysis has proven to be a promising technique in the study of AD.
Why it matters
This 2015 review reports that "most studies" found shrinkage concentrated in one part of the hippocampus, the CA1 subfield, in early Alzheimer's disease, before it spreads more widely at the dementia stage. "Preliminary studies" suggested that looking at this pattern, rather than the whole hippocampus, improves diagnostic accuracy at the mild cognitive impairment stage. The authors add that methods vary widely between studies and that standardised protocols and larger samples are needed "to confirm the clinical utility of these techniques". It is about diagnosis, not treatment.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Getting a diagnosis →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
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 (Neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Neuroscience: journal h-index 370 (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 | 2015 — 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 | 6 / 7 | Cited 365 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 28.1 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 16.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 9 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 95 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Gaël Chételat: h-index 90 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Inserm: institution h-index 1,988 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26306871) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
de Flores, R., La Joie, R., & Chételat, G. (2015). Structural imaging of hippocampal subfields in healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease. Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.08.033
Vancouver
de Flores R, La Joie R, Chételat G. Structural imaging of hippocampal subfields in healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease. Neuroscience. 2015. doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.08.033. PMID: 26306871.
BibTeX
@article{deflores2015-26306871,
author = {de Flores, R. and La Joie, R. and Chételat, G.},
title = {{Structural imaging of hippocampal subfields in healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Neuroscience},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.08.033},
pmid = {26306871},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.08.033}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 39.
Later studies that cite this one
9 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
Related studies in Getting a diagnosis
Also tagged “disorder”
492 studies in the library carry the topic tag “disorder”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 492 tagged studies.