Dementia: Radiologic Perspective

Recent years have witnessed impressive advances in the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with varying success either to contribute to patient clinical work up aimed at establishing a diagnosis of degenerative dementia, as well as to monitor disease progression. Conventional MRI of the brain has an important role in differentiating Alzheimer Disease (AD) from other pathologies, including non-AD neurodegenerative dementias (1). MRI-based measures of atrophy are regarded as valid markers of disease state and progression, and the quantification of volumetric changes from serial MRI scans has the potential for monitoring the efficacy of disease-modifying agents (2). In addition, several other promising non-conventional MR approaches have emerged or are under development/refinement to provide a new complete picture of AD pathology in vivo . These new techniques are likely able to fill voids and improve our ability to diagnose and monitor or understand the pathophysiology of the disease.