Hippocampal Volumetry in Normal Volunteers

To present a normative database of hippocampus volume in Korean population.

Seventy-two healthy volunteers(male 31, mean age 38.9years) were enrolled and underwent 1.6mm thickness whole brain SPGR(Spoiled Gradient Recovery) MRI. The volume of the hippocampus(HV) was calculated by the summation of the areas of all slices. The cerebrum, cerebellum and midbrain were included for the intracranial volume(ICV). Whole cerebral volume(WCV) and the ICV were calculated from multiplying total voxel count by the volume of one voxel. Subjects were all right-handed and divided into young age(15-49years, N=57) and old age group(58-83years, N=15). Mean HV, WCV, and ICV's were compared according to age, gender, and laterality.

Mean right HV(3350.8±368.4mm³) was significantly larger than left one(3104.3±365.8mm³) in all ages(p<.05). Women's HVs normalized to ICV in right and left sides were definitely larger than those of men although there was no difference of absolute HV between women and men. Mean WCV and ICV of men were significantly larger than those of women. Negative correlation was observed between the age and the HV, WCV, or ICV (p<.05).

Our results showed that right HV was bigger than left one, and normalized HVs of women were larger than those of men. These findings provide normal database of HV in Korea and are important to detect unilateral or bilateral hippocampal atrophy in various brain diseases including epilepsy.