Alteration of white matter MR signal intensity in frontotemporal dementia.
OBJECTIVE
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Kitagaki
H
H
Division of Neuroimaging Research and Radiology Service, Hyogo Institute for Aging Brain and Cognitive Disorders, Himeji, Japan.
Mori
E
E
Hirono
N
N
Ikejiri
Y
Y
Ishii
K
K
Imamura
T
T
Ikeda
M
M
Yamaji
S
S
Yamashita
H
H
Shimomura
T
T
Nakagawa
Y
Y
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D001284:Atrophy; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*