Temporal lobe-oriented CT scanning and dementia in Down's syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Although individuals with Down's syndrome (DS) are uniquely at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, the diagnosis of dementia in DS is problematic because of the difficulty in detecting cognitive decline in individuals with pre-existing learning disability.


OBJECTIVE
To determine if dementia in DS is associated with Medial Temporal Lobe (MTL) atrophy as measured by temporal lobe-oriented CT scanning.


METHODS
Ten individuals with DS who were experiencing functional decline had CT scans with temporal lobe-oriented views. All individuals were assessed for the presence of dementia according to modified DSM-IIIR criteria. The minimal thickness of the MTL, corrected for age-related atrophy was measured using a computer calipers at the level of the mid-brainstem by a radiologist blind to the dementia diagnosis.


RESULTS
All six individuals who met modified DSM-IIIR criteria for dementia showed significant MTL atrophy.


CONCLUSIONS
The utility of temporal lobe-oriented CT scanning as an adjunct to the diagnosis of dementia in DS appears promising and warrants further study.
Lawlor
B A
BA
Department of the Psychiatry of the Elderly, Jonathan Swift Clinic, St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland. psyche1@stpatsmail.com
McCarron
M
M
Wilson
G
G
McLoughlin
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001284:Atrophy; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed