Does registration of serial MRI improve diagnosis of dementia?
BACKGROUND
We aimed to assess the value of a second MR scan in the radiological diagnosis of dementia.


METHODS
One hundred twenty subjects with clinical follow-up of at least 1 year with two scans were selected from a cognitive disorders clinic. Scans were reviewed as a single first scan (method A), two unregistered scans presented side-by-side (method B) and a registered pair (method C). Scans were presented to two neuroradiologists and a clinician together with approximate scan interval (if applicable) and age. Raters decided on a main and subtype diagnosis.


RESULTS
There was no evidence that differences between methods (expressed as relative odds of a correct response) differed between reviewers (p = 0.17 for degenerative condition or not, p = 0.5 for main diagnosis, p = 0.16 for subtype). Accordingly, results were pooled over reviewers. For distinguishing normal/non-progressors from degenerative conditions, the proportions correctly diagnosed were higher with methods B and C than with A (p = 0.001, both tests). The difference between method B and C was not statistically significant (p = 0.18). For main diagnosis, the proportion of correct diagnoses were highest with method C for all three reviewers; however, this was not statistically significant comparing with method A (p = 0.23) or with method B (p = 0.16). For subtype diagnosis, there was some evidence that method C was better than method A (p = 0.01) and B (p = 0.048).


CONCLUSIONS
Serial MRI and registration may improve visual diagnosis in dementia.
Barnes
Josephine
J
Dementia Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK. j.barnes@dementia.ion.ucl.ac.uk
Mitchell
L Anne
LA
Kennedy
Jonathan
J
Bastos-Leite
Antonio J
AJ
Barker
Suzie
S
Lehmann
Manja
M
Nordstrom
R Chris
RC
Frost
Chris
C
Smith
Joseph R
JR
Garde
Ellen
E
Rossor
Martin N
MN
Fox
Nick C
NC
D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique