Table 2.
Brain imaging and physiologic findings.
| Subjects | Method | Aim | Results | Macro study | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive impairment | |||||
| Dementia | EEG | To compare EEG indicators with clinical symptoms | EEG indicators were correlated with degree of dementia and parietal lobe dysfunction | B | Edman41 |
| Dementia | EEG | Investigate if examination of clinical symptom profile can improve EEG diagnostics | Parietal lobe syndrome was more closely correlated to EEG findings than the other brain syndromes | B | Matousek42 |
| HC, dementia | EEG | To examine if dementia patients have decreased daytime alertness | Decrease in alertness occurred more often in dementia patients and was proportional to the degree of dementia | B | Edman43 |
| HC, stable MCI, MCI–dementia | MRI | To examine if hippocampal atrophy predicts conversion from MCI to dementia | Hippocampal atrophy at baseline predicts dementia | A | Eckerström37 |
| Stable MCI, MCI–dementia | SPECT | To examine if patterns of rCBF is related to cognitive impairment | Reduced CBF particularly the left medial temporal lobe indicates an elevated risk of cognitive decline | A | Edman38 |
| Alzheimer's disease | |||||
| AD (EAD, LAD) | CT | To study the relationship between WMC and EAD, LAD | Almost no WMC in EAD; high percentage of WMC in LAD | C | Wallin33 |
| HC, AD (EAD, LAD) | SPECT | To study discrimination between AD and HC using rCBF | rCBF reduction in parietotemporal cortical areas, the medial temporal lobes, the hippocampi, and the white matter in AD | B | Sjögren40 |
| HC, AD (EAD, LAD) | SPECT | To examine differences in rCBF and CSF markers between two clinical subgroups of AD patients | EAD patients had decreased levels of monoamine metabolites and LAD had decreased rCBF | B | Sjögren44 |
| Subcortical vascular dementia | |||||
| SVD | CT | To study the relationship between WMCa and VaD defined as dementia with vascular burden | High percentage of WMCa in patients with vascular burden | C | Wallin33 |
| SVD | CT | To study the relationship between clinical symptom profile and WMCa | Subcortical symptom profile was associated with WMCa | B | Wallin34 |
| SVD | CT/MRI | To examine the relationship between WMCa and neuropsychiatric symptoms | WMCa were associated with a dysexecutive-related behavioral symptom profile | B | Jonsson35 |
| SVD | MRI | To examine if depressive symptoms are associated with WMCa | No relationship between WMCa and depressive symptoms was found | B | Lind36 |
| HC, SVD | SPECT | To study discrimination between SVD and HC using rCBF | rCBF reduction in parietotemporal cortical areas, the medial temporal lobes, the hippocampi, and the white matter | B | Sjögren40 |
| HC, MCI | MRI | Examine if hippocampal atrophy is related to WMCa | Hippocampal atrophy was related to WMCa in the high WMCa quartile of the sample | A | Eckerström39 |
AD, Alzheimer’s disease; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; CT, computed tomography; EAD, early-onset AD; EEG, electroencephalography; HC, healthy control; LAD, late-onset AD; MCI, mild cognitive impairment; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; rCBF, regional CBF; SCI, subjective cognitive impairment; SVD, subcortical vascular dementia; VaD, vascular dementia; WMC, white matter changes; SPECT, single photon emission computed tomography.
Macro study A: Gothenburg MCI study, 1999; B: revised prospective dementia study (P-rev), 1991 to 1997; and C: prospective dementia study, 1987 to 1991.
In the MCI group no patients with SCI have been included.
a
Model for incipient and manifest dementia of the subcortical type.