title: Detection of Low-Signal Pulvinar Areas Using Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in Patients with Dementia Experiencing Visual Hallucinations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little research has been conducted regarding the role of pulvinar nuclei in the pathogenesis of visual hallucinations due to the difficulty of assessing abnormalities in this region using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The present study aimed to retrospectively investigate the relative abilities of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), and susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) to visualize the pulvinar and to ascertain the relationship between pulvinar visualization and visual hallucinations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of 3T MRIs from 73 patients (31 males, 42 females; mean age 73.5 ± 12.7 years) of the Memory Clinic of Mie University Hospital was conducted. Correlations between pulvinar visualization and the following were analyzed: age, sex, education, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, Mini-Mental State Examination score, Evans index, and visual hallucinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DWI detected low-signal pulvinar areas in approximately half of the patients (52.1%). Participants with pulvinar visualization were significantly older, and the pulvinar was more frequently visualized in patients who had experienced visual hallucinations compared to those who had not. No significant association was observed between whole brain atrophy and pulvinar visualization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study indicate that diffusion-weighted 3T MRI is the most suitable method for the detection of pulvinar nuclei in patients with dementia experiencing visual hallucinations.
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Mie University, and Departments of, Mie, Japan.
authors: Mayuko
authors: M
authors: Sugiura
authors: Dementia Prevention and Therapeutics, Mie University, Mie, Japan.
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Satoh
authors: Dementia Prevention and Therapeutics, Mie University, Mie, Japan; Neurology, Mie University, Mie, Japan.
authors: Ken-Ichi
authors: KI
authors: Tabei
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Mie University, and Departments of, Mie, Japan.
authors: Tomoki
authors: T
authors: Saito
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Mie University, and Departments of, Mie, Japan.
authors: Mutsuki
authors: M
authors: Mori
authors: Dementia Prevention and Therapeutics, Mie University, Mie, Japan.
authors: Makiko
authors: M
authors: Abe
authors: Dementia Prevention and Therapeutics, Mie University, Mie, Japan.
authors: Hirotaka
authors: H
authors: Kida
authors: Advanced Diagnostic Imaging, Mie University, Mie, Japan.
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Maeda
authors: Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Mie, Japan.
authors: Hajime
authors: H
authors: Sakuma
authors: Dementia Prevention and Therapeutics, Mie University, Mie, Japan; Neurology, Mie University, Mie, Japan.
authors: Hidekazu
authors: H
authors: Tomimoto
keywords: 3T MRI; Dementia; Diffusion-weighted image; Pulvinar; Visual hallucinations