RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Volumetric MRI study of the caudate nucleus in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer's disease, and vascular dementia
JF Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
JO J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 406
OP 407
DO 10.1136/jnnp.72.3.406
VO 72
IS 3
A1 Barber, R
A1 McKeith, I
A1 Ballard, C
A1 O'Brien, J
YR 2002
UL http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/72/3/406.abstract
AB Objectives: To determine whether parkinsonian symptoms in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are associated with greater atrophy of the caudate nucleus in comparison with patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). Methods: T1weighted MR scans were acquired in elderly patients with DLB, AD, VaD, and healthy controls. Normalised volumetric measurements of the caudate nucleus were obtained and parkinsonian symptoms rated using Hoehn and Yahr staging. Results: There were no significant differences in the volume of the caudate nucleus between patients with dementia. However, the left caudate volume was significantly reduced in AD and DLB compared with controls. Parkinsonian symptoms did not correlate with caudate nucleus volume. Conclusions: Parkinsonian symptoms in DLB may be more closely coupled to neurochemical rather than structural changes in the caudate nucleus, and volumetric MRI analysis of caudate nucleus does not discriminate between patients with DLB, AD, and VaD.