SHORT REPORT

Morphometry of the corpus callosum in patients with questionable and mild dementia

A Hensel¹, H Wolf¹, F Kruggel², S G Riedel-Heller³, C Nikolaus¹, T Arendt⁴ and H J Gertz¹

¹ Memory Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, University of Leipzig, Emilienstraße 14, 04107 Leipzig, Germany
² Max-Planck-Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Leipzig, Germany
³ Research Department of Evaluation and Epidemiology, University of Leipzig
⁴ Paul-Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
DP A Hensel, Gedächtnissprechstunde, Universität Leipzig, Emilienstraße 14, 04107 Leipzig, Germany;
hensela{at}medizin.uni-leipzig.de

Previous studies have shown a reduction in corpus callosum area in advanced Alzheimer's disease, but it is unclear whether callosal atrophy is present in the transitional phase between health and the onset of dementia. The aim of this study was to investigate whether callosal atrophy is present in subjects with questionable and mild dementia and to assess the diagnostic value of callosal measures. In 83 subjects aged 72 to 85 years (33 normal controls, 27 patients with questionable dementia, 23 with mild Alzheimer's disease), magnetic resonance images were recorded and the mid-sagittal callosal area measured. Significant differences were found between normal controls and mild dementia. In subjects with questionable dementia callosal size was intermediate between normal controls and mild Alzheimer's disease. However, callosal measures were unsuitable for diagnostic differentiation between healthy subjects, subjects with questionable dementia, and subjects with mild Alzheimer's disease. The severity of white matter changes did not differ between the groups.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; dementia; corpus callosum

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