Qunxi Dong;Yuhang Sheng;Junru Zhu;Honghong Liu;Zhigang Li;Jingyu Liu;Yalin Wang;Bin Hu
{"title":"MRI-Driven Longitudinal Studies of Hippocampal Alterations During the Initial Cognitive Decline","authors":"Qunxi Dong;Yuhang Sheng;Junru Zhu;Honghong Liu;Zhigang Li;Jingyu Liu;Yalin Wang;Bin Hu","doi":"10.1109/JTEHM.2024.3510429","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Based on available magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, hippocampal alteration is one of the hallmarks during cognitive decline. However, the longitudinal hippocampal morphometric changes during the initial cognitive decline are unclear. Exploring a validated biomarker with high clinical relevance is urgent. This work proposed an automated MRI-driven longitudinal hippocampal alteration analysis system (LHAAS), which consists of hippocampal segmentation, reconstruction, registration, multivariate morphometric feature extraction, and longitudinal analysis of hippocampal morphometric and volumetric differences between groups. LHAAS was applied on two groups: cognitive unimpaired (CU) participants who maintained cognitive unimpaired (non-Progressors), and participants who converted to MCI during the following four years (Progressors). LHAAS can detect and visualize subtle deformations in the bilateral hippocampus of CU progressors four years before they show initial cognitive decline. For CU progressors, hippocampal atrophy initially occurs at the CA1 subregion and then along with disease progression, spreading to the CA2-3 and Subiculum subregion, exhibiting a left-greater-than-right trend. The volumetric analyses showed similar results. Besides, hippocampal subregions highly correlated with clinical measurement were identified by correlation analysis. LHAAS can accurately reflect the small hippocampal subregional atrophy at preclinical AD. This proposed system can track the longitudinal hippocampal alterations in the early stages of AD and provide insights for early intervention. Clinical and Translational Impact Statement: LHAAS offers early detection of subtle hippocampal alterations at preclinical AD. This advance enables pathological research and timely interventions to potentially improve patient outcomes in clinical implementation.","PeriodicalId":54255,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine-Jtehm","volume":"13 ","pages":"98-110"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=10772627","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine-Jtehm","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10772627/","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, BIOMEDICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Based on available magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, hippocampal alteration is one of the hallmarks during cognitive decline. However, the longitudinal hippocampal morphometric changes during the initial cognitive decline are unclear. Exploring a validated biomarker with high clinical relevance is urgent. This work proposed an automated MRI-driven longitudinal hippocampal alteration analysis system (LHAAS), which consists of hippocampal segmentation, reconstruction, registration, multivariate morphometric feature extraction, and longitudinal analysis of hippocampal morphometric and volumetric differences between groups. LHAAS was applied on two groups: cognitive unimpaired (CU) participants who maintained cognitive unimpaired (non-Progressors), and participants who converted to MCI during the following four years (Progressors). LHAAS can detect and visualize subtle deformations in the bilateral hippocampus of CU progressors four years before they show initial cognitive decline. For CU progressors, hippocampal atrophy initially occurs at the CA1 subregion and then along with disease progression, spreading to the CA2-3 and Subiculum subregion, exhibiting a left-greater-than-right trend. The volumetric analyses showed similar results. Besides, hippocampal subregions highly correlated with clinical measurement were identified by correlation analysis. LHAAS can accurately reflect the small hippocampal subregional atrophy at preclinical AD. This proposed system can track the longitudinal hippocampal alterations in the early stages of AD and provide insights for early intervention. Clinical and Translational Impact Statement: LHAAS offers early detection of subtle hippocampal alterations at preclinical AD. This advance enables pathological research and timely interventions to potentially improve patient outcomes in clinical implementation.
期刊介绍:
The IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine is an open access product that bridges the engineering and clinical worlds, focusing on detailed descriptions of advanced technical solutions to a clinical need along with clinical results and healthcare relevance. The journal provides a platform for state-of-the-art technology directions in the interdisciplinary field of biomedical engineering, embracing engineering, life sciences and medicine. A unique aspect of the journal is its ability to foster a collaboration between physicians and engineers for presenting broad and compelling real world technological and engineering solutions that can be implemented in the interest of improving quality of patient care and treatment outcomes, thereby reducing costs and improving efficiency. The journal provides an active forum for clinical research and relevant state-of the-art technology for members of all the IEEE societies that have an interest in biomedical engineering as well as reaching out directly to physicians and the medical community through the American Medical Association (AMA) and other clinical societies. The scope of the journal includes, but is not limited, to topics on: Medical devices, healthcare delivery systems, global healthcare initiatives, and ICT based services; Technological relevance to healthcare cost reduction; Technology affecting healthcare management, decision-making, and policy; Advanced technical work that is applied to solving specific clinical needs.