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. 2010 Aug 31;2(4):23.
doi: 10.1186/alzrt47.

Role of structural MRI in Alzheimer's disease

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Role of structural MRI in Alzheimer's disease

Prashanthi Vemuri et al. Alzheimers Res Ther. .

Abstract

Atrophy measured on structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) is a powerful biomarker of the stage and intensity of the neurodegenerative aspect of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. In this review, we will discuss the role of sMRI as an AD biomarker by summarizing (a) the most commonly used methods to extract information from sMRI images, (b) the different roles in which sMRI can be used as an AD biomarker, and (c) comparisons of sMRI with other major AD biomarkers.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Proposed Alzheimer's disease pathological cascade based on biomarkers. MCI, mild cognitive impairment. Modified and reproduced with permission from [6].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Progressive atrophy (medial temporal lobes) in an older cognitively normal (CN) subject, an amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) subject, and an Alzheimer's disease (AD) subject.

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