Measurements of both hippocampal blood flow and hippocampal gray matter volume in the same individuals with Alzheimer's disease

We evaluated both hippocampal blood flow and hippocampal gay matter volume using single photon emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in t he same individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in age-matched contro ls. The hippocampal blood flow was not significantly lower in mild AD patie nts (n=21, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) 23.3+/-2.1) than in control s (n = 16) with a 57% overlap. The hippocampal blood flow was significantly lower in advanced AD patients (n = 22, MMSE 15.4+/-3.2) than in controls. The hippocampal gray matter volume was significantly smaller in mild AD pat ients than in controls, although a 43% overlap was present. There was no si gnificant difference in the hippocampal gray matter volume between the mild and advanced AD patients. The combination of measurements of hippocampal b lood flow and gray matter volume discriminated 71% of mild AD patients from controls. These results suggest the usefulness of a combined analysis of h ippocampal blood flow and gray matter volume for the early diagnosis of AD. ((C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins).