The evaluation of patterns in gray matter damage during the development of Alzheimer's disease by using VBM analysis

Motivation: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and irreversible neurodegenerative disease. The pattern of damage in memory circuits and its relationship to pathological markers remain unclear. Goal(s): The goal is to evaluate the transmission pattern of AD characteristic pathology in memory circuits based on AD cohort population in vivo. Approach: In this study, AD continuum was constructed to model the pathological development of AD, and VBM was used to analyze the damage pattern of brain gray matter structure. Results: Hippocampal volume atrophy was identified as occurring first with the aggravation of AD pathological changes, and the degree of damage increased as AD progressed. Impact: VBM analysis can reveal the morphological changes of gray matter across the AD continuum, thereby revealing the temporal and spatial progression of AD pathological changes.