Docteur de l'université Automatic Segmentation and Shape Analysis ...

2 Chapter 1 Introduction
The research in this thesis is undertaken mainly with the Biomedical Imaging
Group at the Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO ICT Centre, Australia,
in collaboration with the LE2I CNRS UMR 5158, Université de Bourgogne, France.
In the following sections of the introduction, we first introduce the background of
the image analysis in AD studies, and then set forth the outline for the thesis.
1.1 Background
The image analysis methodologies developed and discussed in the scope of this
thesis are mainly applied in the study of hippocampus in AD. We outline briefly
the background of AD and the role of hippocampus in the disease in this section.
The current developments in the neuroimaging investigations into the disease are
also introduced.
1.1.1 Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by
the loss of memory, cognitive deterioration, impairment of independent living abil-
ity, and other psychosocial and behavior symptoms. The term was first introduced
in Emil Kraepelin’s psychiatry textbook (1910), originally limited to the presenile
dementia. Now this distinction is no longer recommended, since the majority of
senile dementia is found to be caused by similar, or identical pathological changes
in the presenile condition (Roth et al., 1966; Blessed et al., 1968; Tomlinson et al.,
1968, 1970; Hachinski et al., 1974). Approximately 60 to 80% of cases of de-
mentia among the elderly population are caused by AD (Alzheimer’s Association,
2011), which is to be differentiated from other forms of dementia, such as vascular
dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, dementia caused by
Parkinson’s disease among others.
With aging being the main risk factor of the disease, the probability of being
affected doubles every 5 years after the age of 65. It becomes a major public