AMYGDALA-HIPPOCAMPAL ATROPHY AND MEMORY PERFORMANCE IN DEMENTIA OF ALZHEIMER-TYPE

The aim of the present study was to examine the involvement of brain s tructures, especially the amygdala-hippocampal complex, in dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT), and to assess the relation of amygdala-hippocam pal atrophy with memory dysfunction. 14 patients with DAT and 10 healt hy age-matched controls were examined with different neuropsychologic tests including the UCLA-Auditory Verbal Learning Test. MRI was perfor med with a conventional 1.5-tesla scanner. Atrophy was found in many b rain structures of demented subjects in comparison with healthy age-ma tched controls. The volumes of amygdala-hippocampal complexes and of t he temporal lobes of demented subjects were more reduced than the tota l brain volume and other structures. Memory dysfunction was highly cor related with atrophy of the amygdala-hippocampal complexes and of the temporal lobes. Consequently, DAT seems to affect the amygdala-hippoca mpal complex and their related function (i.e. memory) more than other cerebral structures, but cerebral degeneration in DAT is not restricte d to these structures.