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Voxel-based morphometry to detect brain atrophy in progressive mild cognitive impairment
Hämäläinen A, Tervo S, Grau-Olivares M, Niskanen E, Pennanen C, Huuskonen J, Kivipelto M, Hänninen T et al.. NeuroImage, 2007-06-29
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Recent research has shown an increased rate of conversion to dementia in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared to controls. However, there are no specific methods to predict who will later develop dementia. In the present study, 22 controls and 56 MCI subjects were followed on average for 37 months (max. 60 months) and studied with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline to assess changes in brain structure associated to later progression to dementia. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to investigate gray matter atrophy. During the follow-up, 13 subjects progressed to dementia. At baseline, no differences were detected in age or education between the control and MCI subjects, but they differed by several neuropsychological tests. The stable and progressive MCI subjects differed only by CDR sum of boxes scores and delayed verbal recall, which were also significant predictors of conversion to dementia. At the baseline imaging, the MCI subjects showed reduced gray matter density in medial temporal, temporoparietal as well as in frontal cortical areas compared to controls. Interestingly, the progressive MCI subjects showed atrophy in the left temporoparietal and posterior cingulate cortices and in the precuneus bilaterally, and a trend for hippocampal atrophy when compared to the stable MCI subjects. We conclude that widespread cortical atrophy is present already two and a half years before a clinical diagnosis of dementia can be set.
Key findings
- Recent research has shown an increased rate of conversion to dementia in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared to controls.
- The stable and progressive MCI subjects differed only by CDR sum of boxes scores and delayed verbal recall, which were also significant predictors of conversion to dementia.
- At the baseline imaging, the MCI subjects showed reduced gray matter density in medial temporal, temporoparietal as well as in frontal cortical areas compared to controls.
- Interestingly, the progressive MCI subjects showed atrophy in the left temporoparietal and posterior cingulate cortices and in the precuneus bilaterally, and a trend for hippocampal atrophy when compared to the stable MCI subjects.
- We conclude that widespread cortical atrophy is present already two and a half years before a clinical diagnosis of dementia can be set.
Why it matters
In 56 people with mild cognitive impairment followed for about 37 months, those who progressed to dementia showed atrophy in certain brain regions at baseline. This supports using brain imaging to help predict conversion, but it does not test any treatment.
Study details
- Participants13
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported 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 | 2007 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 13 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 139 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.6 citations a year over 21 year(s) since 2007 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 8 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Hilkka S. Soininen: h-index 143 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Universitat de Barcelona: institution h-index 1,049 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17683950) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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APA 7th
Hämäläinen, A., Tervo, S., Grau-Olivares, M., Niskanen, E., Pennanen, C., Huuskonen, J., et al. (2007). Voxel-based morphometry to detect brain atrophy in progressive mild cognitive impairment. NeuroImage. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.06.016
Vancouver
Hämäläinen A, Tervo S, Grau-Olivares M, Niskanen E, Pennanen C, Huuskonen J, et al. Voxel-based morphometry to detect brain atrophy in progressive mild cognitive impairment. NeuroImage. 2007. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.06.016. PMID: 17683950.
BibTeX
@article{hamalainen2007-17683950,
author = {Hämäläinen, A. and Tervo, S. and Grau-Olivares, M. and Niskanen, E. and Pennanen, C. and Huuskonen, J. and Kivipelto, M. and Hänninen, T. and others},
title = {{Voxel-based morphometry to detect brain atrophy in progressive mild cognitive impairment}},
journal = {NeuroImage},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.06.016},
pmid = {17683950},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.06.016}
}
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