Quantitative Brain Imaging Analysis

Of all participants, 132 (52.8%) underwent whole-brain MRI (GE, 3 T DISCOVERY 750, GE Taiwan) in the clinical assessment. Trans-axial T2 weighted scans, 3D fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images, and high-resolution sagittal T1-weighted images were acquired. The image analysis included a visual rating of medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) and posterior cortical atrophy (PA) on T1-weighted images. MTA was rated on a 5-point scale (0 point, absent; 1 point, minimal; 2 points, mild; 3 points, moderate; and 4 points, severe) on the basis of the height of hippocampal formation and the width of the choroid fissure and the temporal horn [19 (link)]. PA was rated on a 4-point scale (0 point, absent; 1 point, mild sulcal widening and mild atrophy; 2 points, substantial widening and atrophy; and 3 points, severe atrophy) on the basis of the posterior cingulate and parieto-occipital sulcus and the sulci of the parietal lobes and precuneus [20 (link)]. To confirm the consistency of the aforementioned rating methods, several cases were selected and evaluated through a consensus meeting of neurologists.