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Posterior cortical atrophy and Alzheimer’s disease: a meta-analytic review of neuropsychological and brain morphometry studies

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Abstract

This paper presents the first systematic review and meta-analysis of neuropsychological and brain morphometry studies comparing posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) to typical Alzheimer’s disease (tAD). Literature searches were conducted for brain morphometry and neuropsychological studies including a PCA and a tAD group. Compared to healthy controls (HC), PCA patients exhibited significant decreases in temporal, occipital and parietal gray matter (GM) volumes, whereas tAD patients showed extensive left temporal atrophy. Compared to tAD patients, participants with PCA showed greater GM volume reduction in the right occipital gyrus extending to the posterior lobule. In addition, PCA patients showed less GM volume loss in the left parahippocampal gyrus and left hippocampus than tAD patients. PCA patients exhibit significantly greater impairment in Immediate Visuospatial Memory as well as Visuoperceptual and Visuospatial Abilities than patients with tAD. However, tAD patients showed greater impairment in Delayed Auditory/Verbal Memory than patients with PCA. PCA is characterized by significant atrophy of the occipital and parietal regions and severe impairments in visuospatial functioning.

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Acknowledgments

JA is funded by a doctoral grant from the Foundation for Science and Technology, FCT (SFRH/BD/64457/2009, co-funded by FSE/POPH). JA and AS are funded by project PIC/IC/83290/2007, which is supported by FEDER (POFC—COMPETE) and FCT. JMS is supported by a fellowship of the project SwitchBox-FP7-HEALTH-2010-grant 259772-2. These organizations had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuropsychophysiology Lab, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

    Jorge Alves, Adriana Sampaio & Óscar F. Gonçalves

  2. Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

    José Miguel Soares

  3. ICVS/3B’s - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal

    José Miguel Soares

  4. Laboratório de Neuropsicofisiologia, Escola de Psicologia, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

    Jorge Alves

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Alves, J., Soares, J.M., Sampaio, A. et al. Posterior cortical atrophy and Alzheimer’s disease: a meta-analytic review of neuropsychological and brain morphometry studies. Brain Imaging and Behavior 7, 353–361 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-013-9236-1

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