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Sulcal morphology changes and their relationship with cortical thickness and gyral white matter volume in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease
Im K, Lee JM, Seo SW, Hyung Kim S, Kim SI, Na DL.. NeuroImage, 2008-07-22
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
We investigated the changes of sulcal shape (average mean curvature in folded regions and sulcal depth) in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) using quantitative surface-based methods in a large sample of magnetic resonance imaging data. Moreover, we observed their relationships with cortical thickness and gyral white matter (WM) volume, while considering age effect. This study involved 85 normal controls (n [men/women]: 36/49, age [mean+/-SD]: 71.1+/-4.9 years), and 100 MCI (44/56, 71.8+/-6.5) and 145 AD subjects (53/92, 72.7+/-7.3). We found significantly lower average mean curvature (greater sulcal widening) and shallower sulcal depth with disease progression from controls to MCI and MCI to AD. The most remarkable change in MCI and AD was sulcal widening observed in the temporal lobe (average mean curvature, control [mean]: 0.564, MCI: 0.534 (5.3% decrease from control), AD: 0.486 (13.8% and 9.0% decrease from control and MCI respectively)). Of the four measurements, the sulcal widening measurement showed the highest sensitivity in revealing group differences between control and MCI, which might be useful for detecting early dementia. Significant reductions in cortical thickness and gyral WM volume also occurred in MCI and AD. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that a wider and shallower sulcal shape was primarily associated with decreased cortical thickness and gyral WM volume in each group. Age-related trends for the sulcal shape were not strongly found when cortical thickness and gyral WM volume were considered.
Key findings
- Moreover, we observed their relationships with cortical thickness and gyral white matter (WM) volume, while considering age effect.
- We found significantly lower average mean curvature (greater sulcal widening) and shallower sulcal depth with disease progression from controls to MCI and MCI to AD.
- Significant reductions in cortical thickness and gyral WM volume also occurred in MCI and AD.
- Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that a wider and shallower sulcal shape was primarily associated with decreased cortical thickness and gyral WM volume in each group.
Why it matters
In this MRI study, sulcal widening and shallower sulcal depth were found with disease progression from controls to mild cognitive impairment and from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. The authors say the sulcal widening measurement showed the highest sensitivity in revealing group differences between control and mild cognitive impairment, which might be useful for detecting early dementia.
Study details
- Effect size5.3%; 13.8%; 9.0%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, 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 (NeuroImage) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | NeuroImage: journal h-index 523 (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 | 2008 — 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 | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 208 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 10.4 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 50 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Duk Lyul Na: h-index 67 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Sungkyunkwan University: institution h-index 788 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18691657) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 46 / 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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Im, K., Lee, J. M., Seo, S. W., Hyung Kim, S., Kim, S. I., & Na, D. L. (2008). Sulcal morphology changes and their relationship with cortical thickness and gyral white matter volume in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. NeuroImage. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.07.016
Vancouver
Im K, Lee JM, Seo SW, Hyung Kim S, Kim SI, Na DL. Sulcal morphology changes and their relationship with cortical thickness and gyral white matter volume in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. NeuroImage. 2008. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.07.016. PMID: 18691657.
BibTeX
@article{im2008-18691657,
author = {Im, K. and Lee, J. M. and Seo, S. W. and Hyung Kim, S. and Kim, S. I. and Na, D. L.},
title = {{Sulcal morphology changes and their relationship with cortical thickness and gyral white matter volume in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {NeuroImage},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.07.016},
pmid = {18691657},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.07.016}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 16.