NEUROIMAGING OF EPILEPSY, MOVEMENT-DISORDERS, AND DEGENERATIVE DISEASES

Neuroimaging has improved the understanding, diagnosis, and management of several neurologic diseases and syndromes. Recent advances in the neuroimaging of epilepsy, movement disorders, and degenerative disease s of the nervous system are reviewed. Current research confirms that s tructural and functional neuroimages each provide unique, clinically u seful information in these disorders. Quantification of images improve s their diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. Presymptomatic or earl y neurochemical changes have been identified and followed longitudinal ly in several neurodegenerative diseases, providing a method for monit oring response to therapeutic intervention and pathophysiologic hypoth esis testing. Functional activation studies and receptor-specific radi oligands continue to advance our understanding of these disorders. Fut ure methods will take increasing advantage of both the ability to meas ure neuropharmacological and neurochemical changes in vivo, and the ab ility to combine images and information obtained with distinct structu ral and functional neuroimaging modalities.