Hippocampal Morphometry in Cognitive Impairment
Summary
The hippocampus is a central structure in memory and learning whose morphometry—quantitative assessment of its volume, shape and subregional integrity—is a key biomarker in cognitive disorders. Advances in high-resolution MRI and automated segmentation now allow detailed analysis of hippocampal volumetry and subfield architecture, including the cornu ammonis (CA) sectors, dentate gyrus and subiculum. In ageing and neurodegenerative disorders such as mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, progressive atrophy of specific subfields and alterations in overall hippocampal volume correlate closely with memory deficits and disease progression. Normative databases and nomograms facilitate the objective classification of individuals relative to age-adjusted percentiles, supporting early diagnosis and risk stratification. Shape analyses reveal region-specific patterns of lateralised atrophy and surface deformation that may precede global volume loss. Despite these advances, methodological challenges persist in harmonising segmentation protocols, ensuring sufficient image resolution and validating automated pipelines across scanners. Integration of morphometric measures with cognitive testing and genetic factors offers a multifaceted approach to understanding pathophysiology, predicting conversion from prodromal stages and monitoring therapeutic interventions at a population level.
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Hippocampal Morphometry in Cognitive Impairment publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in hippocampal morphometry in cognitive impairment across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Morphometry: Quantitative measurement of shape and structural features, including volume and surface deformation, of brain regions.
Volumetry: Assessment of a structure’s volume, here applied to the hippocampus via MRI.
Hippocampal subfields: Cytoarchitecturally distinct regions within the hippocampus, such as the cornu ammonis (CA1–CA4), dentate gyrus and subiculum.
Atrophy: Reduction in tissue volume associated with ageing, disease or injury.
Asymmetry index: Metric expressing the percentage difference in volume between left and right hemispheric structures.
Nomogram: Age-adjusted reference percentiles that classify individual volumes against a normative distribution.
References
- Hippocampal volume across age: Nomograms derived from over 19,700 people in UK Biobank. NeuroImage Clinical (2019).
- Trajectories of the Hippocampal Subfields Atrophy in the Alzheimer’s Disease: A Structural Imaging Study. Frontiers in Neuroinformatics (2019).
- Hippocampal subfield volumetry from structural isotropic 1 mm3 MRI scans: A note of caution. Human Brain Mapping (2020).
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