XClose

Dementia Research Centre

Home
Menu

MRI visual rating scales in the diagnosis of dementia

30 March 2016

Distinguishing between the different disease processes that cause dementia is vitally important to allow affected individuals and their families to access appropriate treatment, support and care. However, accurate diagnosis during life can be challenging, with distinct disease processes often resulting in overlapping clinical symptoms, and examination of brain tissue after death is currently the most accurate means of diagnosis.

brain harper visual rating

 

Distinguishing between the different disease processes that cause dementia is vitally important to allow affected individuals and their families to access appropriate treatment, support and care. However, accurate diagnosis during life can be challenging, with distinct disease processes often resulting in overlapping clinical symptoms, and examination of brain tissue after death is currently the most accurate means of diagnosis. Using brain imaging acquired during life in people with post-mortem confirmed dementia, Dr Lorna Harper and colleagues have evaluated the ability of simple visual rating tools to improve diagnostic certainty.