Hippocampal volume and shape in pure subcortical vascular dementia

The purposes of the present study were to explore whether hippocampal atrophy exists in pure subcortical vascular dementia (SVaD) as defined by negative 11C-Pittsburg compound-B (PiB−) positron emission tomography and to compare hippocampal volume and shape between PiB− SVaD and PiB positive (PiB+) Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia. Hippocampal volume and shape were compared among 40 patients with PiB− SVaD, 34 with PiB+ AD, and 21 elderly with normal cognitive function (NC). The normalized hippocampal volume of PiB− SVaD was significantly smaller than NC but larger than that of PiB+ AD (NC > PiB− SVaD > PiB+ AD). Both PiB− SVaD and PiB+ AD patients had deflated shape changes in the cornus ammonis (CA) 1 and subiculum compared with NC. However, direct comparison between PiB− SVaD and PiB+ AD demonstrated more inward deformity in the subiculum of the left hippocampus in PiB+ AD. PiB− SVaD patients did have smaller hippocampal volumes and inward shape change on CA 1 and subiculum compared with NC, suggesting that cumulative ischemia without amyloid pathology could lead to hippocampal atrophy and shape changes.