Home › Research › Mild cognitive impairment
Three-dimensional surface mapping of hippocampal atrophy progression from MCI to AD and over normal aging as assessed using voxel-based morphometry
Chételat G, Fouquet M, Kalpouzos G, Denghien I, De la Sayette V, Viader F, Mézenge F, Landeau B et al.. Neuropsychologia, 2008-01-16
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The hippocampus is the brain structure of highest and earliest structural alteration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). New developments in neuroimaging methods recently made it possible to assess the respective involvement of the different hippocampal subfields by mapping atrophy on a 3D hippocampal surface view. In this longitudinal study on patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), we used such an approach to map the profile of hippocampal atrophy and its progression over an 18-month follow-up period in rapid converters to AD and "non-converters" compared to age-matched controls. For the sake of comparison, we also assessed the profile of hippocampal atrophy associated with AD and with increasing age in a healthy control population ranging from young adult to elderly. We found major involvement of the lateral part of the superior hippocampus mainly corresponding to the CA1 subfield in MCI and AD while increasing age was mainly associated with subiculum atrophy in the healthy population. Moreover, the CA1 subfield also showed highest atrophy rates during follow-up, in both rapid converters and "non-converters" although increased effects were observed in the former group. This study emphasizes the differences between normal aging and AD processes leading to hippocampal atrophy, pointing to a specific AD-related CA1 involvement while subiculum atrophy would represent a normal aging process. Our findings also suggest that the degree of hippocampal atrophy, more than its spatial localization, predicts rapid conversion to AD in patients with MCI.
Key findings
- In this longitudinal study on patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), we used such an approach to map the profile of hippocampal atrophy and its progression over an 18-month follow-up period in rapid converters to AD and "non-converters" compared to age-matched controls.
- For the sake of comparison, we also assessed the profile of hippocampal atrophy associated with AD and with increasing age in a healthy control population ranging from young adult to elderly.
- We found major involvement of the lateral part of the superior hippocampus mainly corresponding to the CA1 subfield in MCI and AD while increasing age was mainly associated with subiculum atrophy in the healthy population.
- Our findings also suggest that the degree of hippocampal atrophy, more than its spatial localization, predicts rapid conversion to AD in patients with MCI.
Why it matters
This longitudinal imaging study found that hippocampal atrophy in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease mainly involved the CA1 subfield, while increasing age in healthy people was mainly associated with subiculum atrophy. It helps distinguish normal aging from Alzheimer's-related brain change and does not test any treatment, cure or prevention.
Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 53/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for 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 (Neuropsychologia) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Neuropsychologia: journal h-index 321 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” 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 | 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 145 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.2 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 8.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 13 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Béatrice Desgranges: h-index 75 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Inserm: institution h-index 1,988 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18289618) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 53 / 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. 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
Chételat, G., Fouquet, M., Kalpouzos, G., Denghien, I., De la Sayette, V., Viader, F., et al. (2008). Three-dimensional surface mapping of hippocampal atrophy progression from MCI to AD and over normal aging as assessed using voxel-based morphometry. Neuropsychologia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.11.037
Vancouver
Chételat G, Fouquet M, Kalpouzos G, Denghien I, De la Sayette V, Viader F, et al. Three-dimensional surface mapping of hippocampal atrophy progression from MCI to AD and over normal aging as assessed using voxel-based morphometry. Neuropsychologia. 2008. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.11.037. PMID: 18289618.
BibTeX
@article{chetelat2008-18289618,
author = {Chételat, G. and Fouquet, M. and Kalpouzos, G. and Denghien, I. and De la Sayette, V. and Viader, F. and Mézenge, F. and Landeau, B. and others},
title = {{Three-dimensional surface mapping of hippocampal atrophy progression from MCI to AD and over normal aging as assessed using voxel-based morphometry}},
journal = {Neuropsychologia},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.11.037},
pmid = {18289618},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.11.037}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
7 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Mild cognitive impairment
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.