Karaca Ömür, Kibar Ahmet Arman, Aslantekin Burcu, Tepe Nermin
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Balıkesir University, Balıkesir 10145, Turkey.
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Balıkesir University, Balıkesir 10145, Turkey.
Brain Sci. 2025 Apr 26;15(5):452. doi: 10.3390/brainsci15050452.
The gyrus rectus is a key brain region with neural connections to the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus, both of which are among the earliest areas affected in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Investigating volumetric differences and asymmetry in this region may provide insights into disease progression. This study aimed to assess gyrus rectus volume and asymmetry in AD patients using an MRI-based parcellation method.
This cross-sectional volumetric study included 25 cognitively healthy adults and 25 AD patients recruited from the Neurology Clinic of Balıkesir University Hospital. Brain MRI scans were obtained using a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner. Volumetric measurements were computed using MRIStudio, an atlas-based image analysis program. Group differences in brain volume and asymmetry index were examined, and their correlations with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were evaluated.
AD patients exhibited significantly greater rightward volumetric asymmetry of the gyrus rectus volume than healthy controls ( < 0.05). Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between gyrus rectus volume and MMSE scores ( < 0.05).
These results suggest that rightward volumetric asymmetry of the gyrus rectus may represent a promising biomarker for tracking the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Detecting asymmetry in brain structures could improve understanding of AD pathology and aid clinical evaluation.
直回是一个关键的脑区，与内嗅皮层和海马体存在神经连接，而这两个区域都是阿尔茨海默病（AD）最早受影响的区域之一。研究该区域的体积差异和不对称性可能有助于深入了解疾病进展。本研究旨在使用基于磁共振成像（MRI）的脑区划分方法评估AD患者的直回体积和不对称性。
这项横断面体积研究纳入了从巴勒克埃西尔大学医院神经科诊所招募的25名认知健康的成年人和25名AD患者。使用1.5特斯拉的MRI扫描仪进行脑部MRI扫描。使用基于图谱的图像分析程序MRIStudio计算体积测量值。检查脑体积和不对称指数的组间差异，并评估它们与简易精神状态检查表（MMSE）评分的相关性。
AD患者直回体积的向右体积不对称性显著大于健康对照组（<0.05）。此外，观察到直回体积与MMSE评分之间存在正相关（<0.05）。
这些结果表明，直回的向右体积不对称性可能是追踪阿尔茨海默病进展的一个有前景的生物标志物。检测脑结构的不对称性可以增进对AD病理学的理解并有助于临床评估。
