MR Analysis of the Substantia Innominata in Normal Aging, Alzheimer Disease, and Other Types of Dementia

American Journal of Neuroradiology

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Fig 1.
Plot shows the correlation between age and thickness of the substantia innominata in control subjects. The thickness of the substantia innominata significantly decreased with normal aging (y = 3.576 − 0.013x, r = −.86, P < .0001).
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Fig 2.
Plots show a significant correlation between MMSE scores and thickness of the substantia innominata in patients with AD but not in those with non-AD dementia. NS = not significant (P > .05).
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Fig 3.
Coronal T2-weighted MR images (3000/100/3; section thickness, 3 mm; intersection gap, 0.9 mm; matrix, 256 × 231; field of view, 20 cm) shows the substantia innominata in five subjects (arrows, A–E).
A, Image in a 37-year-old healthy female control subject.
B, Image in a 70-year-old healthy male control subject shows thinning of the substantia innominata.
C, Image in a 67-year-old man with AD shows prominent atrophy of the substantia innominata.
D, Image in a 74-year-old man with vascular dementia shows prominent atrophy of the substantia innominata.
E, Image in a 64-year-old woman with frontotemporal dementia shows prominent atrophy of the substantia innominata.

Thickness of the substantia innominata in elderly control subjects and patients with dementia

Patient Group	Substantia Innominata Thickness (mm)
Elderly control subjects (n = 21)	2.57 ± 0.19
AD (n = 39)	1.78 ± 0.28^*
Vascular dementia (n = 23)	1.94 ± 0.22^*
Frontotemporal dementia (n = 5)	1.79 ± 0.38^*
Parkinson disease with dementia (n = 8)	1.93 ± 0.19^*