PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - H Kitagaki
AU  - E Mori
AU  - N Hirono
AU  - Y Ikejiri
AU  - K Ishii
AU  - T Imamura
AU  - M Ikeda
AU  - S Yamaji
AU  - H Yamashita
AU  - T Shimomura
AU  - Y Nakagawa
TI  - Alteration of white matter MR signal intensity in frontotemporal dementia.
DP  - 1997 Feb 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 367--378
VI  - 18
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/18/2/367.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/18/2/367.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.1997 Feb 01; 18
AB  - PURPOSE To determine the diagnostic potential of MR imaging to show white matter involvement in frontotemporal dementia.METHODS We evaluated MR signal intensity in cerebral white matter by visually inspecting and by quantitatively measuring signal intensity on MR images in 22 patients with frontotemporal dementia. The findings were compared with those in 22 age- and sex-matched patients who had had Alzheimer disease for the same length of time and with 16 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects.RESULTS Patients with frontotemporal dementia had a significant increase in white matter signal intensity in the frontal and/or temporal lobes on T2- and proton density-weighted images. Visual inspection of regular proton density-weighted images and measurements made on the T2- and proton density-weighted images were sensitive to changes in white matter signal.CONCLUSION Increased MR signal intensity in the frontotemporal white matter on T2- and proton density-weighted MR images is a useful diagnostic sign of frontotemporal dementia and distinguishes this condition from Alzheimer disease.