Neuroscience 2000 Abstract
| Presentation Number: | 750.8 |
|---|---|
| Abstract Title: | The thalamus and cognition: a structural MRI study in healthy and diseased subjects. |
| Authors: |
Van Der Werf, Y. D.*1
; Tisserand, D. J.2
; Visser, P. J.2
; Krabbendam, L.2
; Hofman, P. A. M.3
; Witter, M. P.1
; Uylings, H. B. M.4
; Jolles, J.2
1Dept Anat, Vrije Univ Med Fac, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2Maastricht Brain Behav Inst, Maastricht, The Netherlands 3Dept Radiol, Acad Hosp Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands 4Neth Inst Brain Res, Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
| Primary Theme and Topics |
I. Neural Basis of Behavior - 104. Cognition: attention |
| Secondary Theme and Topics | I. Neural Basis of Behavior<br />- 105. Cognition: higher functions |
| Session: |
750. Cognition: higher functions--neuroanatomy and neuropathology Poster |
| Presentation Time: | Wednesday, November 8, 2000 4:00 PM-5:00 PM |
| Location: | Hall G-J |
| Keywords: | aging, volumetry, memory, prefrontal |
The present study evaluates the contribution of the thalamus to cognition using structural MRI-based volumetry in combination with neurocognitive testing of healthy subjects, Korsakoff's (KS) and Alzheimer's (AD) patients. Fifty-seven healthy subjects ranging from 21 to 82 years old were included. It could be shown that a highly significant decrease in thalamic volume occurred with higher age, stronger than and independent of total brain volume (r=-0.599, p=0.000). In young, but not in middle-aged or old subjects, thalamic volume was related to speeded information processing. This was evident from performance on the Stroop test, a memory scanning task and a variant of the trail making task. No relationship was found with higher cognitive functions such as semantic or episodic memory. Thalamic volumes of KS patients were smaller than those of healthy controls and non-KS alcoholics. Similarly, AD patients showed reductions in thalamic volume as compared to both healthy subjects and age-associated cognitive decline patients (AACD). In the AD and KS groups, a significant correlation of thalamic volume with measures of cognitive speed was found, as in the healthy controls. However, only in the group of AACD patients, was a correlation with memory indices found. It is discussed that the thalamus is involved in speeded information processing and that its atrophy in both AD and KS contributes to the cognitive decline found in these diseases. Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), grant 970-10-012.
Sample Citation:
[Authors]. [Abstract Title]. Program No. XXX.XX. 2000 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. New Orleans, LA: Society for Neuroscience, 2000. Online.
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