USEFULNESS OF MORPHOLOGICAL NEUROIMAGING TECHNIQUES IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF DEMENTIAS .2. VASCULAR DEMENTIAS

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT-scan are crucial for the diagn osis of cerebrovascular diseases. Multi-infarct dementias may be divid ed into (i) dementias due to multiple cortical infarcts and (ii) demen tias due to multiple lacunar infarcts in the basal ganglia, thalamus a nd hemispheric white matter usually associated with leukoaraiosis. A s ingle infarct located in the thalamus or in the left angular gyrus may also induce dementia. Abnormalities of the cerebral white matter, so- called leukoaraiosis, are usually the consequence of a cerebrovascular disease and may be called Binswanger's disease in severe cases. Howev er, leukoaraiosis is nor specific of vascular dementia and may also be found in Alzheimer's disease and even in normal aging.