THE VALUE OF TRANSCRANIAL DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY IN THE DIFFERENTIAL-DIAGNOSIS OF ALZHEIMER-DISEASE VS MULTIINFARCT DEMENTIA

Primary degenerative dementia of the Alzheimer type and multi-infarct dementia exhibit differences in cerebrovascular blood flow velocity pr ofiles, which were investigated by means of transcranial Doppler sonog raphy. The pulsatility indices, as angle-independent parameters of per ipheral vascular resistance, measured in middle cerebral and basilar a rteries of patients with multi-infarct dementia (MID), were significan tly increased (p < 0.005) with respect to cases of primary degenerativ e dementia of the Alzheimer type and to healthy age-matched controls. Approximately 75% of all MID patients exhibited small vessel disease r ather than thromboembolism from the extracranial arteries and the hear t, as judged by extracranial and transcranial Doppler sonographies, co mputerized cerebral tomographies, EEGs, and, if necessary, 2-D echocar diographies.