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Bocchetta M, Malpetti M, Todd EG, Rowe JB, Rohrer JD. Looking beneath the surface: the importance of subcortical structures in frontotemporal dementia. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab158. [PMID: 34458729 PMCID: PMC8390477 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Whilst initial anatomical studies of frontotemporal dementia focussed on cortical involvement, the relevance of subcortical structures to the pathophysiology of frontotemporal dementia has been increasingly recognized over recent years. Key structures affected include the caudate, putamen, nucleus accumbens, and globus pallidus within the basal ganglia, the hippocampus and amygdala within the medial temporal lobe, the basal forebrain, and the diencephalon structures of the thalamus, hypothalamus and habenula. At the most posterior aspect of the brain, focal involvement of brainstem and cerebellum has recently also been shown in certain subtypes of frontotemporal dementia. Many of the neuroimaging studies on subcortical structures in frontotemporal dementia have been performed in clinically defined sporadic cases. However, investigations of genetically- and pathologically-confirmed forms of frontotemporal dementia are increasingly common and provide molecular specificity to the changes observed. Furthermore, detailed analyses of sub-nuclei and subregions within each subcortical structure are being added to the literature, allowing refinement of the patterns of subcortical involvement. This review focuses on the existing literature on structural imaging and neuropathological studies of subcortical anatomy across the spectrum of frontotemporal dementia, along with investigations of brain–behaviour correlates that examine the cognitive sequelae of specific subcortical involvement: it aims to ‘look beneath the surface’ and summarize the patterns of subcortical involvement have been described in frontotemporal dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Bocchetta
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maura Malpetti
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emily G Todd
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Whitwell JL. FTD spectrum: Neuroimaging across the FTD spectrum. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2019; 165:187-223. [PMID: 31481163 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia is a complex and heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease that encompasses many clinical syndromes, pathological diseases, and genetic mutations. Neuroimaging has played a critical role in our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of frontotemporal dementia and provided biomarkers to aid diagnosis. Early studies defined patterns of neurodegeneration and hypometabolism associated with the clinical, pathological and genetic aspects of frontotemporal dementia, with more recent studies highlighting how the breakdown of structural and functional brain networks define frontotemporal dementia. Molecular positron emission tomography ligands allowing the in vivo imaging of tau proteins have also provided important insights, although more work is needed to understand the biology of the currently available ligands.
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Yoo HS, Chung SJ, Kim SJ, Oh JS, Kim JS, Ye BS, Sohn YH, Lee PH. The role of 18F-FP-CIT PET in differentiation of progressive supranuclear palsy and frontotemporal dementia in the early stage. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2018; 45:1585-1595. [PMID: 29728749 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-018-4019-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the pattern of striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability could differentiate between progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in the first few years of the disease. METHODS We enrolled patients who had Parkinsonism and frontal dysfunction and/or language deficit, visited the clinic within 2 years of the onset of symptoms, and had been followed-up for longer than 5 years; thus resulting in 26 patients with PSP and 24 patients with FTD. By quantitatively analyzing N-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-2β-carbon ethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane PET, we compared the pattern of DAT availability at the time of the baseline evaluation between the two groups. The discriminatory power of variables including DAT activity and clinical parameters was investigated by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyses. Additionally, we analyzed the correlation between striatal subregional DAT availability and cognitive profiles. RESULTS Patients with PSP and FTD had significantly lower DAT availability than normal controls in the whole striatum and in each striatal subregion. When comparing the two groups, DAT availability was significantly lower in patients with PSP than those with FTD in all striatal subregions. The PSP and FTD groups had generally similar subregional patterns of DAT activity in terms of the anteroposterior and ventrodorsal gradients and asymmetry, except for a different preferential involvement in the caudate. The ROC analysis showed that the DAT activity of the whole striatum had an excellent discriminatory power relative to Parkinsonism or neurocognitive profiles. Correlation analysis showed that verbal memory was significantly correlated with DAT availability in the whole striatum and the putaminal subregion only in patients with PSP. CONCLUSIONS DAT scans have prognostic value in determining whether patients with Parkinsonism and behavioral and/or language dysfunction will develop features of PSP or FTD later in the disease course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Soo Yoo
- Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Seok Jong Chung
- Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Soo-Jong Kim
- Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Jung Su Oh
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jae Seung Kim
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Byoung Seok Ye
- Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Young Ho Sohn
- Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Phil Hyu Lee
- Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, South Korea. .,Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
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Bertoux M, O'Callaghan C, Flanagan E, Hodges JR, Hornberger M. Fronto-Striatal Atrophy in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. Front Neurol 2015; 6:147. [PMID: 26191038 PMCID: PMC4486833 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) has only recently been associated with significant striatal atrophy, whereas the striatum appears to be relatively preserved in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Considering the critical role the striatum has in cognition and behavior, striatal degeneration, together with frontal atrophy, could be responsible of some characteristic symptoms in bvFTD and emerges therefore as promising novel diagnostic biomarker to distinguish bvFTD and AD. Previous studies have, however, only taken either cortical or striatal atrophy into account when comparing the two diseases. In this study, we establish for the first time a profile of fronto-striatal atrophy in 23 bvFTD and 29 AD patients at presentation, based on the structural connectivity of striatal and cortical regions. Patients are compared to 50 healthy controls by using a novel probabilistic connectivity atlas, which defines striatal regions by their cortical white-matter connectivity, allowing us to explore the degeneration of the frontal and striatal regions that are functionally linked. Comparisons with controls revealed that bvFTD showed substantial fronto-striatal atrophy affecting the ventral as well as anterior and posterior dorso-lateral prefrontal cortices and the related striatal subregions. In contrast, AD showed few fronto-striatal atrophy, despite having significant posterior dorso-lateral prefrontal degeneration. Direct comparison between bvFTD and AD revealed significantly more atrophy in the ventral striatal–ventromedial prefrontal cortex regions in bvFTD. Consequently, deficits in ventral fronto-striatal regions emerge as promising novel and efficient diagnosis biomarker for bvFTD. Future investigations into the contributions of these fronto-striatal loops on bvFTD symptomology are needed to develop simple diagnostic and disease tracking algorithms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Bertoux
- Neurosciences Research Australia (NeuRA) , Randwick, NSW , Australia ; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK
| | - Claire O'Callaghan
- Neurosciences Research Australia (NeuRA) , Randwick, NSW , Australia ; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, NSW , Australia
| | - Emma Flanagan
- Neurosciences Research Australia (NeuRA) , Randwick, NSW , Australia ; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, NSW , Australia
| | - John R Hodges
- Neurosciences Research Australia (NeuRA) , Randwick, NSW , Australia
| | - Michael Hornberger
- Neurosciences Research Australia (NeuRA) , Randwick, NSW , Australia ; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK ; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, NSW , Australia
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Striatal Atrophy in the Behavioural Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia: Correlation with Diagnosis, Negative Symptoms and Disease Severity. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0129692. [PMID: 26075893 PMCID: PMC4468218 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is associated with changes in dorsal striatal parts of the basal ganglia (caudate nucleus and putamen), related to dysfunction in the cortico-striato-thalamic circuits which help mediate executive and motor functions. We aimed to determine whether the size and shape of striatal structures correlated with diagnosis of bvFTD, and measures of clinical severity, behaviour and cognition. Materials and Methods Magnetic resonance imaging scans from 28 patients with bvFTD and 26 healthy controls were manually traced using image analysis software (ITK-SNAP). The resulting 3-D objects underwent volumetric analysis and shape analysis, through spherical harmonic description with point distribution models (SPHARM-PDM). Correlations with size and shape were sought with clinical measures in the bvTFD group, including Frontal Behavioural Inventory, Clinical Dementia Rating for bvFTD, Color Word Interference, Hayling part B and Brixton tests, and Trail-Making Test. Results Caudate nuclei and putamina were significantly smaller in the bvFTD group compared to controls (left caudate 16% smaller, partial eta squared 0.173, p=0.003; right caudate 11% smaller, partial eta squared 0.103, p=0.023; left putamen 18% smaller, partial eta squared 0.179, p=0.002; right putamen 12% smaller, partial eta squared 0.081, p=0.045), with global shape deflation in the caudate bilaterally but no localised shape change in putamen. In the bvFTD group, shape deflations on the left, corresponding to afferent connections from dorsolateral prefrontal mediofrontal/anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex, correlated with worsening disease severity. Global shape deflation in the putamen correlated with Frontal Behavioural Inventory scores—higher scoring on negative symptoms was associated with the left putamen, while positive symptoms were associated with the right. Other cognitive tests had poor completion rates. Conclusion Behavioural symptoms and severity of bvFTD are correlated with abnormalities in striatal size and shape. This adds to the promise of imaging the striatum as a biomarker in this disease.
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Walterfang M, Luders E, Looi JCL, Rajagopalan P, Velakoulis D, Thompson PM, Lindberg O, Ostberg P, Nordin LE, Svensson L, Wahlund LO. Shape analysis of the corpus callosum in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration subtypes. J Alzheimers Dis 2015; 40:897-906. [PMID: 24531157 DOI: 10.3233/jad-131853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Morphology of the corpus callosum is a useful biomarker of neuronal loss, as different patterns of cortical atrophy help to distinguish between dementias such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). We used a sophisticated morphometric analysis of the corpus callosum in FTLD subtypes including frontotemporal dementia (FTD), semantic dementia (SD), and progressive non-fluent aphasia (PNFA), and compared them to AD patients and 27 matched controls. FTLD patient subgroups diverged in their callosal morphology profiles, with FTD patients showing marked widespread differences, PNFA patients with differences largely in the anterior half of the callosum, and SD patients differences in a small segment of the genu. AD patients showed differences in predominantly posterior callosal regions. This study is consistent with our previous findings showing significant cortical and subcortical regional atrophy across FTLD subtypes, and suggests that callosal atrophy patterns differentiate AD from FTLD, and FTLD subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Walterfang
- Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Eileen Luders
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey C L Looi
- Research Centre for Neurosciences of Ageing, Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, Australia Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Priya Rajagopalan
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dennis Velakoulis
- Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, Radiology, Pediatrics, Engineering & Ophthalmology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA USC Imaging Genetics Center, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Olof Lindberg
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per Ostberg
- Division of Speech-Language Pathology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, and Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Love E Nordin
- Hospital Physics, Karolinska University Hospital, Hospital Physics and Radiology, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Leif Svensson
- Hospital Physics, Karolinska University Hospital, Hospital Physics and Radiology, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars-Olof Wahlund
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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7
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Macfarlane MD, Looi JC, Walterfang M, Spulber G, Velakoulis D, Styner M, Crisby M, Örndahl E, Erkinjuntti T, Waldemar G, Hennerici MG, Bäzner H, Blahak C, Wallin A, Wahlund LO. Shape abnormalities of the caudate nucleus correlate with poorer gait and balance: results from a subset of the LADIS study. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2015; 23:59-71.e1. [PMID: 23916546 PMCID: PMC4234689 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2013.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Revised: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Functional deficits seen in several neurodegenerative disorders have been linked with dysfunction in frontostriatal circuits and with associated shape alterations in striatal structures. The severity of visible white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on magnetic resonance imaging has been found to correlate with poorer performance on measures of gait and balance. This study aimed to determine whether striatal volume and shape changes were correlated with gait dysfunction. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging scans and clinical gait/balance data (scores from the Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB]) were sourced from 66 subjects in the previously published LADIS trial, performed in nondisabled individuals older than age 65 years with WMHs at study entry. Data were obtained at study entry and at 3-year follow-up. Caudate nuclei and putamina were manually traced using a previously published method and volumes calculated. The relationships between volume and physical performance on the SPPB were investigated with shape analysis using the spherical harmonic shape description toolkit. RESULTS There was no correlation between the severity of WMHs and striatal volumes. Caudate nuclei volume correlated with performance on the SPPB at baseline but not at follow-up, with subsequent shape analysis showing left caudate changes occurred in areas corresponding to inputs of the dorsolateral prefrontal, premotor, and motor cortex. There was no correlation between putamen volumes and performance on the SPPB. CONCLUSION Disruption in frontostriatal circuits may play a role in mediating poorer physical performance in individuals with WMHs. Striatal volume and shape changes may be suitable biomarkers for functional changes in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Macfarlane
- Research Centre for the Neurosciences of Ageing, Academic Unit of Psychological and Addiction Medicine, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jeffrey C.L. Looi
- Research Centre for the Neurosciences of Ageing, Academic Unit of Psychological and Addiction Medicine, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia, Karolinska Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society, Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mark Walterfang
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Gabriela Spulber
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society, Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dennis Velakoulis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Martin Styner
- Neuroimaging Research and Analysis Laboratories, Carolina Institute of Developmental Disabilities, Departments of Psychiatry and Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Milita Crisby
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society, Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eva Örndahl
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology at Karolinska Institute, Division of Medical Imaging and Technology, Stockholm, Sweden and Department of Radiology, Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Timo Erkinjuntti
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland and Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland
| | - Gunhild Waldemar
- Memory Disorders Research Group, Dept. of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Michael G. Hennerici
- Department of Neurology, Universitäts Medizin Mannheim UMM, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Hansjörg Bäzner
- Department of Neurology, Universitäts Medizin Mannheim UMM, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christian Blahak
- Department of Neurology, Universitäts Medizin Mannheim UMM, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anders Wallin
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Lars-Olof Wahlund
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society, Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Stockholm, Sweden
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Yu ZZ, Jiang SJ, Li J, Bi S, Li F, Xie T, Wang R, Zhang XT. Clinical application of Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment Battery-Second Edition in evaluating of cognitive function of Chinese patients with post-stroke aphasia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 28:167-71. [PMID: 24074619 DOI: 10.1016/s1001-9294(13)60043-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical application value of Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment battery in Chinese patients with post-stroke aphasia. METHODS Cognitive functions of 59 Chinese patients with aphasia following a stroke were assessed with the Chinese version of the second edition of LOTCA battery and their linguistic functions were tested with the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) Scale, respectively. The Results of LOTCA were analyzed and compared across different groups, in the light of gender, age, educational background, the length of illness, and the degree of aphasia. RESULTS Neither the score of subtests of the LOTCA nor the overall scores of LOTCA of aphasia patients with different gender and educational background differed (all P>0.05). In different age groups, apart from thinking operation (F=3.373, P=0.016), visuomotor organization (F=3.124, P=0.022), attention (F=3.729, P=0.009) and the total score (F=2.683, P=0.041), there was no difference in terms of the other subtest scores of LOTCA (all P>0.05). In the groups of different length of time with illness, apart from orientation (F=2.982, P=0.039) and attention (F=3.485, P=0.022), the score of other subtests and the total score of LOTCA were not different (all P>0.05). In the groups of different degree of aphasia, apart from attention (F=2.061, P=0.074), both the score of other subtests and the total score of LOTCA differed (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION LOTCA might be suitable to assessing the cognitive ability of post-stroke Chinese patients with aphasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeng-zhi Yu
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
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Executive dysfunction correlates with caudate nucleus atrophy in patients with white matter changes on MRI: a subset of LADIS. Psychiatry Res 2013; 214:16-23. [PMID: 23916538 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2013.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2012] [Revised: 04/19/2013] [Accepted: 05/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
White matter changes (WMC) are common magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, particularly in the elderly. Recent studies such as the Leukoaraiosis and Disability Study (LADIS) have found that WMC relate to adverse outcomes including cognitive impairment, depression, disability, unsteadiness and falls in cross-sectional and follow-up studies. Frontostriatal (or frontosubcortical) brain circuits may serve many of these functions, with the caudate nuclei playing a role in convergence of cognitive functions. This study aimed to determine whether reduced caudate volume relates to cognitive functions (executive functions, memory functions and speed of processing) and WMC. We determined caudate nuclei volumes, through manual tracing, on a subgroup of the LADIS study (n=66) from four centres with baseline and 3-year follow-up MRI scans. Regression analysis was used to assess relationships between caudate volume, cognitive function and WMC. Severity of WMC did not relate to caudate volume. Smaller caudate volumes were significantly associated with poorer executive functioning at baseline and at 3 years, but were not associated with scores of memory or speed of processing. Thus, in patients with WMC, a surrogate of small vessel disease, caudate atrophy relates to the dysexecutive syndrome, supporting the role of caudate as an important part of the frontostriatal circuit.
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10
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Abstract
Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and semantic dementia have been associated with striatal degeneration, but few studies have delineated striatal subregion volumes in vivo or related them to the clinical phenotype. We traced caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens on magnetic resonance images to quantify volumes of these structures in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, semantic dementia, Alzheimer disease, and healthy controls (n=12 per group). We further related these striatal volumes to clinical deficits and neuropathologic findings in a subset of patients. Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and semantic dementia showed significant overall striatal atrophy compared with controls. Moreover, behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia showed panstriatal degeneration, whereas semantic dementia featured a more focal pattern involving putamen and accumbens. Right-sided striatal atrophy, especially in the putamen, correlated with the overall behavioral symptom severity and with specific behavioral domains. At autopsy, patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and semantic dementia showed striking and severe tau or TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa pathology, especially in ventral parts of the striatum. These results demonstrate that ventral striatum degeneration is a prominent shared feature in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and semantic dementia and may contribute to the social-emotional deficits common to both disorders.
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Abstract
The striatum, comprising the caudate nucleus, putamen and nucleus accumbens, occupies a strategic location within cortico-striato-pallido-thalamic-cortical (corticostriatal) re-entrant neural circuits. Striatal neurodevelopment is precisely determined by phylogenetically conserved homeobox genes. Consisting primarily of medium spiny neurons, the striatum is strictly topographically organized based on cortical afferents and efferents. Particular corticostriatal neural circuits are considered to subserve certain domains of cognition, emotion and behaviour. Thus, the striatum may serve as a map of structural change in the cortical afferent pathways owing to deafferentation or neuroplasticity, and conversely, structural change in the striatum per se may structurally disrupt corticostriatal pathways. The morphology of the striatum may be quantified in vivo using advanced magnetic resonance imaging, as may cognitive functioning pertaining to corticostriatal circuits. It is proposed that striatal morphology may be a biomarker in neurodegenerative disease and potentially the basis of an endophenotype.
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12
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Yi DS, Bertoux M, Mioshi E, Hodges JR, Hornberger M. Fronto-striatal atrophy correlates of neuropsychiatric dysfunction in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Dement Neuropsychol 2013; 7:75-82. [PMID: 29213823 PMCID: PMC5619548 DOI: 10.1590/s1980-57642013dn70100012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural disturbances in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are thought to reflect mainly atrophy of cortical regions. Recent studies suggest that subcortical brain regions, in particular the striatum, are also significantly affected and this pathology might play a role in the generation of behavioural symptoms. OBJECTIVE To investigate prefrontal cortical and striatal atrophy contributions to behavioural symptoms in FTD. METHODS One hundred and eighty-two participants (87 FTD patients, 39 AD patients and 56 controls) were included. Behavioural profiles were established using the Cambridge Behavioural Inventory Revised (CBI-R) and Frontal System Behaviour Scale (FrSBe). Atrophy in prefrontal (VMPFC, DLPFC) and striatal (caudate, putamen) regions was established via a 5-point visual rating scale of the MRI scans. Behavioural scores were correlated with atrophy rating scores. RESULTS Behavioural and atrophy ratings demonstrated that patients were significantly impaired compared to controls, with bvFTD being most severely affected. Behavioural-anatomical correlations revealed that VMPFC atrophy was closely related to abnormal behaviour and motivation disturbances. Stereotypical behaviours were associated with both VMPFC and striatal atrophy. By contrast, disturbance of eating was found to be related to striatal atrophy only. CONCLUSION Frontal and striatal atrophy contributed to the behavioural disturbances seen in FTD, with some behaviours related to frontal, striatal or combined fronto-striatal pathology. Consideration of striatal contributions to the generation of behavioural disturbances should be taken into account when assessing patients with potential FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Seok Yi
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Maxime Bertoux
- University Pierre and Marie Curie - Paris VI, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Eneida Mioshi
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia. School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - John R Hodges
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia. ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, Australia. School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael Hornberger
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia. ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, Australia. School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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13
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Looi JC, Rajagopalan P, Walterfang M, Madsen SK, Thompson PM, Macfarlane MD, Ching C, Chua P, Velakoulis D. Differential putaminal morphology in Huntington's disease, Frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2012; 46:1145-58. [PMID: 22990433 PMCID: PMC4113021 DOI: 10.1177/0004867412457224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Direct neuronal loss or deafferentation of the putamen, a critical hub in corticostriatal circuits, may result in diverse and distinct cognitive and motoric dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease. Differential putaminal morphology, as a quantitative measure of corticostriatal integrity, may thus be evident in Huntington's disease (HD), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), diseases with differential clinical dysfunction. METHODS HD (n = 17), FTD (n = 33) and AD (n = 13) patients were diagnosed according to international consensus criteria and, with healthy controls (n = 17), were scanned on the same MRI scanner. Patients underwent brief cognitive testing using the Neuropsychiatry Unit Cognitive Assessment Tool (NUCOG). Ten MRI scans from this dataset were manually segmented as a training set for the Adaboost algorithm, which automatically segmented all remaining scans for the putamen, yielding the following subset of the data: 9 left and 12 right putamen segmentations for AD; 25 left and 26 right putamina for FTD; 16 left and 15 right putamina for HD; 12 left and 12 right putamina for controls. Shape analysis was performed at each point on the surface of each structure using a multiple regression controlling for age and sex to compare radial distance across diagnostic groups. RESULTS Age, but not sex and intracranial volume (ICV), were significantly different in the segmentation subgroups by diagnosis. The AD group showed significantly poorer performance on cognitive testing than FTD. Mean putaminal volumes were HD < FTD < AD ≤ controls, controlling for age and ICV. The greatest putaminal shape deflation was evident in HD, followed by FTD, in regions corresponding to the interconnections to motoric cortex. CONCLUSIONS Differential patterns of putaminal atrophy in HD, FTD and AD, with relevance to corticostriatal circuits, suggest the putamen may be a suitable clinical biomarker in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C.L. Looi
- Research Centre for the Neurosciences of Ageing, Academic Unit of Psychological and Addiction Medicine, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia,Correspondence: Associate Professor Jeffrey Looi, Research Centre for the Neurosciences of Ageing, Academic Unit of Psychological Medicine, ANU Medical School, Building 4, Level 2, Canberra Hospital, Garran A.C.T. 2605,
| | - Priya Rajagopalan
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mark Walterfang
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital, & University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sarah K. Madsen
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Matthew D. Macfarlane
- Research Centre for the Neurosciences of Ageing, Academic Unit of Psychological and Addiction Medicine, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia
| | - Chris Ching
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Phyllis Chua
- School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Dennis Velakoulis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital, & University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Lindberg O, Walterfang M, Looi JCL, Malykhin N, Ostberg P, Zandbelt B, Styner M, Paniagua B, Velakoulis D, Orndahl E, Wahlund LO. Hippocampal shape analysis in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration subtypes. J Alzheimers Dis 2012; 30:355-65. [PMID: 22414571 DOI: 10.3233/jad-2012-112210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Hippocampal pathology is central to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia such as frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Autopsy studies have shown that certain hippocampal subfields are more vulnerable than others to AD and FTLD pathology, in particular the subiculum and cornu ammonis 1 (CA1). We conducted shape analysis of hippocampi segmented from structural T1 MRI images on clinically diagnosed dementia patients and controls. The subjects included 19 AD and 35 FTLD patients [13 frontotemporal dementia (FTD), 13 semantic dementia (SD), and 9 progressive nonfluent aphasia (PNFA)] and 21 controls. Compared to controls, SD displayed severe atrophy of the whole left hippocampus. PNFA and FTD also displayed atrophy on the left side, restricted to the hippocampal head in FTD. Finally, AD displayed most atrophy in left hippocampal body with relative sparing of the hippocampal head. Consistent with neuropathological studies, most atrophic deformation was found in CA1 and subiculum areas in FTLD and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olof Lindberg
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
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15
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Lindberg O, Manzouri A, Westman E, Wahlund LO. A comparison between volumetric data generated by voxel-based morphometry and manual parcellation of multimodal regions of the frontal lobe. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2012; 33:1957-63. [PMID: 22576892 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a3093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Volumetric measurements on structural MR images are an established method to investigate pathology-related volume changes in cortex. Manual volumetric methods have sometimes been referred to as the reference standard for quality control of automatic volumetric methods. While some automatic methods, like VBM, may rely on a template, manual methods use sulci as indirect landmarks for the subdivision of cortex. The purpose of this study was to compare volumetric data generated by MM and VBM on 4 multimodal regions in the frontal lobe. MATERIALS AND METHODS We investigated 4 multimodal frontocortical regions by MM and VBM in patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Alzheimer disease and controls. RESULTS MM and VBM results were highly correlated for dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and hippocampus, but not for the dorsal and rostral anterior cingulate. VBM results were more consistent with results from previous studies on cingulate in frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Our results may potentially be explained by 2 factors. First, the volume of small cortical regions may be more affected by anatomic variability than large regions in the MM. Second, it has been shown that the location of multimodal cytoarchitectonic areas, such as the cingulate cortex, may be difficult to predict by the appearance of sulci and gyri. CONCLUSIONS While both VBM and the MM may do equally poorly in predicting cytoarchitecture, the MM may add additional unrelated variance caused by anatomic variability. Thus, paradoxically, the higher anatomic precision of the MM may potentially cause a weaker relation to cytoarchitecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Lindberg
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
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16
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Looi JCL, Walterfang M, Velakoulis D, Macfarlane MD, Svensson LA, Wahlund LO. Frontotemporal dementia as a frontostriatal disorder: neostriatal morphology as a biomarker and structural basis for an endophenotype. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2012; 46:422-34. [PMID: 22535292 DOI: 10.1177/0004867411432076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This article reviews the evidence for a re-conceptualisation of a subtype of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), as a frontostriatal disorder, working towards an endophenotype. METHOD We provide an overview of the role of frontostriatal circuits relevant to FTLD and FTD, as a subset of larger-scale distributed brain networks. We discuss the role of a strategic structure in these circuits, the neostriatum. Then we review the relationship of the clinical features of FTLD to frontostriatal circuits, correlating this with neuropsychological and neuropathological data. CONCLUSION The unique structure and linkages of the neostriatum make it an ideal structure for in vivo neuroimaging to understand the neuroanatomical basis of FTD. We develop a frontostriatal endophenotypic model for FTD as a platform for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C L Looi
- Research Centre for the Neurosciences of Ageing, Academic Unit of Psychological Medicine, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australia.
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17
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Ong D, Walterfang M, Malhi GS, Styner M, Velakoulis D, Pantelis C. Size and shape of the caudate nucleus in individuals with bipolar affective disorder. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2012; 46:340-51. [PMID: 22368240 PMCID: PMC3328643 DOI: 10.1177/0004867412440191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The caudate nucleus (CN) is a crucial component of the ventral striatum, which is part of a prefrontal-striatal-thalamic circuit that is modulated by limbic structures to subserve emotional processing. Bipolar disorder is thought to be underpinned by dysfunctional anterior limbic networks, although MRI studies examining the CN have shown equivocal results. As gross volumetric analyses may not detect subtle regional change, we aimed to clarify the role of the CN in bipolar disorder by undertaking shape analysis to detect regional reductions. METHODS The CN was manually traced on MRI scans from 27 patients with bipolar-I disorder and 24 matched controls. A non-parametric spherical harmonic shape analysis was undertaken using the SPHARM toolkit. RESULTS Whilst the left CN volume was consistently larger in the sample, there was no effect of group or gender or significant interactions between these variables. Volume did not correlate with illness duration or lithium dosage, but was larger in those with a history of psychosis at trend level. However, left caudate shape differed significantly between groups, with deflation in an area along the ventromedial surface (connecting to dorsolateral prefrontal regions) in bipolar patients. Psychotic patients showed increases in the dorsal head and body at trend level overall, in regions connecting to medial and orbitofrontal regions. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that subtle rather than gross structural changes occur in the CN, which may not be detectable by volumetric analysis alone, and reflect alterations in specific frontostriatal circuitry in the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ong
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
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18
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Looi JCL, Macfarlane MD, Walterfang M, Styner M, Velakoulis D, Lätt J, van Westen D, Nilsson C. Morphometric analysis of subcortical structures in progressive supranuclear palsy: In vivo evidence of neostriatal and mesencephalic atrophy. Psychiatry Res 2011; 194:163-75. [PMID: 21899988 PMCID: PMC3204393 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2011.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2011] [Revised: 06/25/2011] [Accepted: 07/02/2011] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by gait and postural disturbance, gaze palsy, apathy, decreased verbal fluency and dysexecutive symptoms, with some of these clinical features potentially having origins in degeneration of frontostriatal circuits and the mesencephalon. This hypothesis was investigated by manual segmentation of the caudate and putamen on MRI scans, using previously published protocols, in 15 subjects with PSP and 15 healthy age-matched controls. Midbrain atrophy was assessed by measurement of mid-sagittal area of the midbrain and pons. Shape analysis of the caudate and putamen was performed using spherical harmonics (SPHARM-PDM, University of North Carolina). The sagittal pons area/midbrain area ratio (P/M ratio) was significantly higher in the PSP group, consistent with previous findings. Significantly smaller striatal volumes were found in the PSP group - putamina were 10% smaller and caudate volumes were 17% smaller than in controls after controlling for age and intracranial volume. Shape analysis revealed significant shape deflation in PSP in the striatum, compared to controls; with regionally significant change relevant to frontostriatal and corticostriatal circuits in the caudate. Thus, in a clinically diagnosed and biomarker-confirmed cohort with early PSP, we demonstrate that neostriatal volume and shape are significantly reduced in vivo. The findings suggest a neostriatal and mesencephalic structural basis for the clinical features of PSP leading to frontostriatal and mesocortical-striatal circuit disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Chee Leong Looi
- Research Centre for the Neurosciences of Ageing, Academic Unit of Psychological Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, Australia, Correspondence: Associate Professor Jeffrey Looi, Academic Unit of Psychological Medicine, ANU Medical School, Building 4, Level 2, Canberra Hospital, Garran A.C.T. 2605,
| | - Matthew D. Macfarlane
- Research Centre for the Neurosciences of Ageing, Academic Unit of Psychological Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, Australia
| | - Mark Walterfang
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Martin Styner
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dennis Velakoulis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jimmy Lätt
- Center for Medical Imaging and Physiology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Danielle van Westen
- Center for Medical Imaging and Physiology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden,Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Christer Nilsson
- Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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