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Review
. 2013 Oct;17(10):510-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2013.08.007. Epub 2013 Sep 9.

Understanding cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease based on neuroimaging findings

Meredith N Braskie  1 , Paul M Thompson
Affiliations
Review

Understanding cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease based on neuroimaging findings

Meredith N Braskie et al. Trends Cogn Sci. 2013 Oct.

Abstract

Brain amyloid can be measured using positron emission tomography (PET). There are mixed reports regarding whether amyloid measures are correlated with measures of cognition (in particular memory), depending on the cohorts and cognitive domains assessed. In Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and those at heightened risk for AD, cognitive performance may be related to the level and extent of classical AD pathology (amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary angles), but it is also influenced by neurodegeneration, neurocognitive reserve, and vascular health. We discuss what recent neuroimaging research has discovered about cognitive deficits in AD and offer suggestions for future research.

Keywords: MRI; PET; dementia; executive function; memory; mild cognitive impairment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors have no actual or potential conflict of interest in writing this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Brain Pathology at Different Stages of Cognitive Decline. Here we show the projected mean [18F]FDDNP signal, based on cross-sectional data from people with a broad range of impairment, and calculated for various levels of cognitive performance in AD and MCI patients and cognitively intact older adults. Red regions are those in which greater predicted [18F]FDDNP signal was associated with lower cognitive Z scores at each cortical voxel. Adapted from and reprinted with the permission of the journal and authors.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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