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Hello Freesurfers, 

We performed a whole-brain analysis using general linear model analysis with FreeSurfer mri_glmfit for neuropsychiatric symptoms (i.e: depression, etc)  to assess their effect on brain’s cortical volume, thickness and area between groups (controls vs mild cognitive impairment,  control vs Alzheimer,  Alzheimer vs mild cognitive impairment).The severity score (level is either 1,2 or 3) of the neuropsychiatric symptoms was included as fixed factors, while MRI parameters (cortical volume, thickness and areas) were regarded as dependent variables. 

Thus, these are two sets of results for group_x_var : 

For reference : 
CN= Control group
MCI= Mild cognitive impairment group 
AD: Alzheimer group
NPIDSEV: Depression severity

Contrast

ClusterNo

Max

VtxMax

Size(mm^2)

TalX

TalY

TalZ

CWP

CWPLow

CWPHi

NVtxs

WghtVtx

Annot

Explanation

g2v1_CN_AD_NPIDSEV.area.lh.fwhm10_group-x-var_neg

is there a difference between the group VARiable slopes? contrast 0 0 1 -1. t-test with Group1>Group2 being positive. Note: this is an interaction between group and VARiable

1

-2.0763

158049

2847.57

-19.8

-63.8

12.5

0.0077

0.0066

0.0088

3957

-5537.87

cuneus

2

-2.4711

147091

2469.14

-35.3

-51.9

35

0.0205

0.0187

0.0223

5579

-7317.77

inferiorparietal

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

g2v1_AD_MCI_NPIDSEV.volume.rh.fwhm10_group-x-var_pos

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

is there a difference between the group VARiable slopes? contrast 0 0 1 -1. t-test with Group1>Group2 being positive. Note: this is an interaction between group and VARiable

 

1

2.2852

91120

1748.47

63.7

-39.7

-4.3

0.0054

0.0045

0.0063

3263

4658.91

middletemporal

 

We would like to have more information on the interpretation of these results. Specifically, we would like to know how to interpret the sign of the max coefficient in relation to the difference between the groups on the severity of depression/NPIDSEV and on the volume/area/thickness of the region of interest. Our interpretation for the first result for example was that the difference between the CN and MCI slopes is negative as depression severity increases, however this does not indicate the direction of the slopes regarding the area of the cuneus or the parietal inferior region. Is this correct? 

Thank you very much for your help, 
Adriana Cannizzaro