Cited by 582Dementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchAlzheimer's disease research and treatmentsNeurobiology of Language and Bilingualism

Differing patterns of temporal atrophy in Alzheimer's disease and semantic dementia

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Galton, C. J., Patterson, K., Graham, K., Lambon-Ralph, M.A., Williams, G., Antoun, N., Sahakian, B.J., Hodges, J.R.·2001·Neurology

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To characterize and quantify the patterns of temporal lobe atrophy in AD vs semantic dementia and to relate the findings to the cognitive profiles. Medial temporal lobe atrophy is well described in AD. In temporal variant frontotemporal dementia (semantic dementia), clinical studies suggest polar and inferolateral temporal atrophy with hippocampal sparing, but quantification is largely lacking. METHODS: A volumetric method for quantifying multiple temporal structures was applied to 26 patients with probable AD, 18 patients with semantic dementia, and 21 matched control subjects. RESULTS: The authors confirmed the expected bilateral hippocampal atrophy in AD relative to controls, with involvement of the amygdala bilaterally and the right parahippocampal gyrus. Contrary to expectations, patients with semantic dementia had asymmetric hippocampal atrophy, more extensive than AD on the left. As predicted, the semantic dementia group showed more severe involvement of the temporal pole bilaterally and the left amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus (including the entorhinal cortex), fusiform gyrus, and the inferior and middle temporal gyri. Performance on semantic association tasks correlated with the size of the left fusiform gyrus, whereas naming appeared to depend upon a wider left temporal network. Episodic memory measures, with the exception of recognition memory for faces, did not correlate with temporal measures. CONCLUSIONS: Hippocampal atrophy is not specific for AD but is also seen in semantic dementia. Distinguishing the patients with semantic dementia was the severe global but asymmetric (left > right) atrophy of the amygdala, temporal pole, and fusiform and inferolateral temporal gyri. These findings have implications for diagnosis and understanding of the cognitive deficits in AD and semantic dementia.

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Crossref · 10.1212/wnl.57.2.216

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Authors
Galton, C. J., Patterson, K., Graham, K., Lambon-Ralph, M. A., Williams, G., Antoun, N., Sahakian, B. J., & Hodges, J. R.
Affiliations
  • MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (GB)
  • From the University Neurology Unit (Drs. Galton and Hodges), Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre (Dr. Williams), and Department of Radiology (Dr. Antoun), Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge; MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (Drs. Patterson, Graham, and Hodges) and Department of Experimental Psychology (Dr. Lambon-Ralph), University of Bristol; and Department of Psychiatry (Dr. Sahakian), University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Venue
Neurology
Published
2001-07-24
Volume
57
Issue
2
Pages
216-225
ISSN
  • 0028-3878 (ISSN-L)
  • 1526-632X
OpenAlex
W2131286474
Cited by
582
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 35
FWCI
17.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Licence
other-oa
Locations
  • Neurology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, semantic dementia, temporal lobe atrophy, hippocampal atrophy, amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus, temporal pole, fusiform gyrus, volumetric quantification, episodic memory, semantic association, naming, entorhinal cortex
MeSH terms
Aged, Alzheimer Disease, Atrophy, Dementia, Female, Humans, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Semantics, Temporal Lobe

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