Impaired processing of famous faces in Alzheimer's disease is related to neurofibrillary tangle densities in the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex.

To examine the neuroanatomical correlates of impaired processing of famous faces in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we performed an anterograde clinicopathological study of 25 patients with clinically and neuropathologically confirmed AD. Famous face recognition, identification and naming was assessed using the Famous Face Test. The assessment of neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) and senile plaque (SP) densities was performed in ten cortical areas in both hemispheres, and statistical analysis was made using forward stepwise logistic regression models. A statistically significant relationship was found between NFT densities in Brodmann's areas 9 and 24 in both hemispheres and impaired famous face naming and identification. SP counts did not correlate with any of the neuropsychological parameters. These data suggest that NFT formation in prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex, two areas involved in semantic memory processes, is a key event in famous face naming and identification deficits. In agreement with previous studies, they also indicate that SP densities are not a good pathological correlate of neuropsychological deficits in AD.