P3‐204: Relationships between hippocampal shape and cognitive performance in amnestic mild cognitive impairment

Abstract

Previous studies provided hippocampal shape analysis of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients using automated segmentation technique. However the relationships between the hippocampal deformations and various episodic memory impairments were not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the hippocampal shape changes and their relationship to various episodic memory impairments in aMCI. Thirty-two drug-naive patients with MCI, and 32 group-matched healthy control subjects underwent 3T MRI scanning and the hippocampal volume and deformations were compared between the groups. Additionally, we explored the correlation pattern between the hippocampal deformations and the cognitive dysfunctions in a MCI using the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-K). Subjects with MCI exhibited significant hippocampal deformations in cornu ammnonis (CA)1 and subiculum areas, compared to healthy subjects (P < 0.05, false discovery rate corrected).There were significant correlations between hippocampal deformations in CA1 and subiculum areas and verbal delayed recall and constructional recall scores (uncorrected, P< 0.001). This study was the first study to explore the relationships between the hippocampal deformations and various cognitive performances in aMCI. These structural changes in hippocampal CA1 and subiculum areas might be the core of underlying neurobiological mechanisms of hippocampal dysfunction and their relevance to the verbal and visuospatial delayed recall in aMCI.