The classification accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the support vector machine (SVM) classifiers are given for distinguishing normal controls (NC) and subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD), NC and subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and subjects with MCI and AD.

<p>The volumes and shapes of the hippocampus (Hp) and lateral ventricles (LV) as well as cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) markers are respectively used as features in the SVM.</p

The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for predicting the MCI converters are listed when the volumes or shapes of the hippocampus (Hp) or the lateral ventricles (LV), or the CSF markers, or their combination were used as features in the classification.

<p>The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for predicting the MCI converters are listed when the volumes or shapes of the hippocampus (Hp) or the lateral ventricles (LV), or the CSF markers, or their combination were used as features in the classification.</p

Shape differences of the lateral ventricles among normal controls (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's Disease (AD).

<p>Panels (a,b) respectively show group differences in the left and right lateral ventricular surface deformations between MCI and NC. Panels (c,d) respectively show group differences in the left and right lateral ventricular surface deformations between AD and MCI. Warm color denotes regions where structures have surface outward-deformation in the former group when compared with the latter group, while cool color denotes regions where structures have surface inward-deformation in the former group when compared with the latter group.</p

ISOMAP components of the hippocampus and lateral ventricles as well as CSF markers contribute to the group differences between normal controls (NC) and subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD), NC and subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and subjects with MCI and AD.

<p>ISOMAP components of the hippocampus and lateral ventricles as well as CSF markers contribute to the group differences between normal controls (NC) and subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD), NC and subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and subjects with MCI and AD.</p

Demographic information for each of the diagnosis groups (normal controls (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD)) at the baseline.

<p>Note: SD – standard deviation; MMSE – mini-mental state examination; MCI-s – subjects with MCI who remained as MCI at the two-year follow up; MCI-c – subjects with MCI who converted as AD at the two-year follow up.</p

Schematic of MRI data processing.

<p>Schematic of MRI data processing.</p

Demographic and clinical characteristics of the sample.

<p>Abbreviations: CON, control subjects; SCZ, patients with schizophrenia; SD, standard deviation.</p

The fornix and cingulum fiber tracts (yellow lines) and their mean curves (blue line).

<p>Panels (a, b) respectively illustrate the left and right fornix, where “H” and “F” indicate the orientation of the fornix bundle from the hippocampus to the thalamus. Panels (c, d) respectively illustrate the left and right cingulum in the hippocampus (CGH), where “S” and “O” indicate the orientation of CGH from the splenium of the corpus callosum to the hippocampus. Panels (e–j) show the left and right cingulum in the cingulate (CGC) from the anterior, middle, to the posterior segments, where “A”, “M”, and “P” indicate the orientation of CGC from the anterior to the posterior.</p

Delineation of the fornix bundle (Fx).

<p>Panel (a) illustrates the 3D view of the brain, where the fornix, hippocampus, corpus callosum are colored in yellow, pink, and green, respectively. Panels (b, c) show the coronal and axial slices of the mean DTI color map, where the ROIs are defined for delineating the fornix.</p

Fornix manual segmentation.

<p>Panel (a) shows the fornix mask extracted from the averaged DTI using the fiber tracking method. Panels (b–f) show the manual masks of the fornix labeled on the DTI of five subjects.</p