Two macroscopic and microscopic brain imaging studies of human hippocampus in early Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia research

Among the many diseases that affect the hippocampus, a small yet highly important brain region responsible for memory and identity, Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia are among the most devastating. We describe a two-stage, region-of-interest based linear mixed model approach to the analysis of a longitudinal functional magnetic resonance (FMRI) study of human memory function under several drug challenges. We then describe a Monte Carlo approach to testing members of nested hierarchies of linear models in a stereological study of different types and locations of human hippocampal neurons. Last, we attempt to draw the attention of the biostatistical community interested in imaging neuroscience to the intriguing complexities of human hippocampal research in early Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and other brain diseases via brain imaging methods.