Abstract:

Objective　Through MRI measurement of the normal hippocampal volume, the image data related with diseases that can change the hippocampal volume changing could be supplied for clinical diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.　Methods　240 cases of healthy volunteers were selected, including 120 men, and 120 women, and divided into five groups  according to age. Each group included 24 men or 24 women.  Line perpendicular to hippocampal long axis of the thin layer of oblique coronal was scanned using 1.5T MRI for all subjects. Then the square and volume of hippocampus were calculated through fine identification and segmentation.　Results  (1) The results suggested that there was no significant difference in the hippocampal volume between different gender, sidesthe  in pair wise comparisons (P> 0.05). (2) there was no significant difference of themale hippocampal volumes of the same side before  and after 40 and among different groups (P>0.05). (3)The female hippocampal volumes of both sides before and after 60 that had not significant difference (P> 0.05).  (4)Hippocampal volumes of left and right sides in male and female did not show obvious difference in parallel groups.　Conclusion　The right and left hippocampal volume in male before 40 years old does not change significantly, however, marked atrophy could be observed after 40 years old; The right and left hippocampal volume does not change significantly before 60 years old in female, while a dramatic drop could be observed after 60 years old.

Key words:  Hippocampus, Magnetic resonance imaging, Volumetric, Measurements