Structural and functional neuroimaging methods in the diagnosis of dementias: A retrospective chart and brain imaging review

摘要

Objective: Assess the contribution of structural and functional neuroimaging methods to the diagnosis of dementia. Methods: This was a retrospective chart and imaging review. Participants were 24 inpatient dementia cases from a general hospital-based, university medical psychiatry unit. Data from clinical charts and imaging results were reviewed. Results: Most common initial diagnoses were dementia NOS and vascular dementia (VD); most common discharge diagnoses were VD, Alzheimer's, Dementia NOS and dementia with Lewy bodies. Most diagnostic changes occurred following family meetings or SPECT/PET, with fewer changes after CT/MRI. Conclusions: Diagnostic steps that contributed the most to the final diagnosis were the family meeting and the functional neuroimaging evaluation.