Volumetric analysis of the pons, cerebellum and hippocampi in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Our goal was to find out whether a decrease in hippocampal volume in Alzheimer's disease measured via magnetic resonance imaging is accompanied by a similar volume decrease in the pons and cerebellum. We also tried to evaluate whether there are any accompanying hippocampal, pontine and cerebellar asymmetries between the left and right side.

METHODS

We performed a manual volumetric magnetic resonance analysis of the pons, cerebellum and hippocampi in 29 healthy controls and 26 patients with Alzheimer's disease, divided into two groups according to the Mini-Mental State Examination score.

RESULTS

We confirmed a known decrease in hippocampal volume in Alzheimer's disease patients but found that there is no similar volume decrease in the pons or cerebellum that could serve as a radiologic diagnostic tool in Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. Also, there was no statistically significant right-left asymmetry in all three measured structures.

CONCLUSION

Only hippocampal volume and not pontine and cerebellar volumes could serve as a magnetic resonance diagnostic tool in Alzheimer's disease.