Disorders of the Nervous System
Author: Pilar Freccero | Email: pilarfreccero@gmail.com
Pilar Freccero1°, Mariana Nahir Vallejo Azar1°,Maria Barbara Postillone1°, Julieta Lisso1°, Zulma Sevillano1°, Juan Pablo Princich1°, Patricia Solis1°, María Carolina Dalmasso1°
1° ENyS
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of age-related dementia, influenced by environmental and genetic risk factors. The SuStaIn AI tool has identified three AD subtypes via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Subtype 1 (S1) is marked by initial ventricular atrophy progressing to the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. Subtype 2 (S2) starts with atrophy in the thalamus and pallidum, spreading to the temporal cortex. Subtype 3 (S3) features ventricular atrophy before affecting nearly all other regions. These subtypes may relate to different risk factors. Additionally, brain-age acceleration, computed from MRI scans, is proposed as an early biomarker for cognitive decline, with positive acceleration indicating brains that appear older than their chronological age. Therefore, we aim to study the presence of AD subtypes and validate the brain-age estimation as a biomarker in our population. We analyzed clinical data and 134 MRIs from individuals over 60 at the Memory Clinic at “Asistencia Médica Integral” (AMI-Hospital El Cruce): 63 from cognitively unimpaired (controls), 52 with Mild Cognitive Impaired (MCI) and 19 with AD. Subtypes were identified: 82% as S1, 14% as S2, and only 4 samples as S3. Notably, 23 control MRIs were classified as early stages of S1 (15) and S2 (8). Brain-age acceleration was higher in S1 compared to controls, though no significant differences were found among diagnostic groups. These findings suggest potential for improving AD diagnosis.