Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 18, 2026

Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans
Published on: December 18, 2016
Progression of illness in the differential diagnosis of primary dementia
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, PA.
Abstract:
The diagnostic utility of determinations of insidious or stepwise progression of illness was examined in 124 geriatric inpatients with primary dementia. Such determinations failed to distinguish patients with primary degenerative dementia of the Alzheimer type from those with multi-infarct dementia. Episodic behavioral complications, especially depression and delusions, in the patients with primary degenerative dementia were associated with stepwise progression. Determinations of stepwise progression were made in only six (15%) of the 40 demented patients with at least two cerebral infarctions, a finding inconsistent with current diagnostic criteria for multi-infarct dementia.
Related Concept Videos
Parkinson's Disease: Overview
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
Dementia
The progression of dementia is generally gradual.
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Dementia l: Introduction

