Sj. Teipel et al., DISSOCIATION BETWEEN CORPUS-CALLOSUM ATROPHY AND WHITE-MATTER PATHOLOGY IN ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE, Neurology, 51(5), 1998, pp. 1381-1385
Objective: To determine whether the size of the corpus callosum is rel
ated to the extent of white matter pathology in patients with AD and a
ge-matched healthy control subjects. Methods: White matter hyperintens
ity load and corpus callosum size were compared between 20 clinically
diagnosed AD patients and 21 age-matched healthy control subjects. We
investigated the effect of age and disease severity on corpus callosum
size and white matter hyperintensity, in addition to the relation bet
ween corpus callosum areas and white matter hyperintensity load. Resul
ts: We found significant regional atrophy of the corpus callosum in AD
when compared with control subjects, although the groups did not diff
er in their white matter hyperintensity load. We further showed a regi
on-specific correlation between corpus callosum size and white matter
hyperintensity in the control group but not in AD patients. In the AD
group, corpus callosum size correlated with age and dementia severity,
whereas white matter hyperintensity correlated only with age. Conclus
ion: Corpus callosum atrophy in AD can occur independent of white matt
er degeneration, likely reflecting specific AD pathology in projecting
neurons.