A Review of Brain Atrophy Subtypes Definition and Analysis for Alzheimer’s Disease Heterogeneity Studies

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a heterogeneous disease with different subtypes. Studying AD subtypes from brain structure, neuropathology, and cognition are of great importance for AD heterogeneity research. Starting from the study of constructing AD subtypes based on the features of T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging, this paper introduces the major connections between the subtype definition and analysis strategies, including brain region-based subtype definition, and their demographic, neuropathological, and neuropsychological characteristics. The advantages and existing problems are analyzed, and reasonable improvement schemes are prospected. Overall, this review offers a more comprehensive view in the field of atrophy subtype in AD, along with their advantages, challenges, and future prospects, and provide a basis for improving individualized AD diagnosis.