Background
Neuropsychiatric symptoms are very common even in mild stages of Alzheimer’s disease
(AD). The amygdala exhibits very early pathology in AD, but amygdala function in mild
AD has received relatively little attention. The current study investigates functional
alterations in the amygdala in aging and mild AD, and their relationships with neuropsychiatric
symptoms.
Methods
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine and compare amygdala
responses in 12 young and elderly controls and in 12 mild AD patients during viewing
of neutral and emotional human facial expressions.
Results
Amygdala responses in the young and elderly did not significantly differ from each
other. However, the AD group had significantly greater amygdala responses to both
neutral and emotional faces relative to elderly controls. This group effect was maintained
when amygdala volume, sex and age were included as covariates in the analysis. Furthermore,
amygdala activity correlated with the severity of irritability and agitation symptoms
in AD.
Conclusions
The amygdala in patients with mild AD is excessively responsive to human faces relative
to elderly controls. These amygdala functional alterations may represent a physiologic
marker for certain neuropsychiatric manifestations of AD.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 09, 2007
Accepted:
November 15,
2006
Received in revised form:
October 10,
2006
Received:
June 20,
2006
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
