The role of brain imaging for diagnosis of senile dementia

X-ray computed tomography (CT) was performed in a total of 239 patients, consisting of 100 with dementia and 139 normal volunteers. In the normal group, small infarcted areas were observed in 20%, and dilatation of the lateral ventricle, cerebral sulci and Sylvian fissure was associated with aging. In the dementia group, the incidence of periventricular lucency was closely related to cerebrovascular disorder, and also increased with aging for Alzheimer type dimentia; dilatation of the lateral ventricle, cerebral sulci, Sylvian fissure, and third ventricle was unrelated to aging; the incidence of dilated lateral ventricle and Sylvian fissure was frequently observed when cerebrovascular disorder was associated; an atrophied medial temporal lobe was observed in patients with presenile dementia under the age of 60. Radionuclide cisternography for 145 patients with various diseases and 56 normal subjects revealed: ventricular reflux was observed in 50% of the total cases; it occurred in 50% in each group with either cerebrovascular disorder or non-cerebrovascular disorder; persistent ventricular reflux with Sylvian block was observed in 40% of cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage; and ventricular reflux in the elderly was considered attributable to pseudo-normal pressure hydrocephalus. Single photon emission computed tomography with I-123 IMP, performed in 11 dementia and 5 non-dementia patients, revealed a decreased uptake in the temporo-parietal region only in cases of Alzheimer type dementia, although there was no abnormal X-ray CT finding. (Namekawa, K) 51 refs