Assessing the Changes of Cortical Thickness in Alzheimer Disease With MRI Using Freesurfer Software.

The neurodegenerative disorder Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a fast-growing epidemic in aging populations worldwide. In 2050, one new case of AD is estimated to increase up to every 33 seconds. So the diagnosis of AD in the early stage considerably decreases the progress of dementia and helps identify a correct treatment approach. The cortical thickness measured by structural neuroimaging has received a significant surrogate biomarker that could provide powerful tools for the early diagnosis of AD. Since the sensitivity and specificity of MRI are higher, it offers essential advantages for identifying brain atrophy patterns. The manual cortical thickness measurement methods are time-consuming and require experienced anatomists compared with automated methods. In this regard, Freesurfer software, which is a freely available program and provides information for quantifying the functional and structural features of the brain, is used. The current study demonstrates examining the pattern of changes and quantifying the reduction in the thickness of the cortex. This can also be used as an alternative marker for the early diagnosis of dementia using cortical thickness measurment that would help the physicians.