Laura
Serra1, Mara Cercignani1, Roberta Perri2,
Barbara Span1, Lucia Fadda2,3, Camillo Marra4,
Franco Giubilei5, Carlo Caltagirone2,6, Marco Bozzali1
1Neuroimaging laboratory, Fondazione
IRCCS Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy; 2Department of Clinical and
Behavioural Neurology, Fondazione IRCCS Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy; 3Department
of Neuroscience, , University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 4Institute
of Neurology, Universit Cattolica, Roma, Italy; 5Department of
Neurology, II Faculty of Medicine University of Rome, Sapienza, Rome,
Italy; 6Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome Tor
Vergata, Rome, Italy
The
uncinate fasciculus (UF) connects temporal and frontal regions, traditionally
implicated by pathological damage in dementia. We aimed at assessing, using
DTI and tractography, the role of UF damage in the progression from mild
cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimers disease (AD), and whether its
involvement could distinguish between patients with AD and patients with
dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). Fractional anisotropy was significantly
reduced only in the UF of demented patients as compared to both, HS and a-MCI
patients. This suggests that UF involvement is relevant for the development
dementia, but it does not distinguish between AD and DLB.