Quantitative X-ray computed tomography (CT) in dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT)

Dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) has proven to be difficult to diagnose using computerized X-ray tomography (CT). To improve the identification of DAT with CT, several different quantitative approaches have been tried. Brain parenchymal density measurements and a variety of linear indices of ventricular size have failed to reliably separate DAT patients from age matched controls. Measures of ventricular volume improve discrimination, but overlap with controls persists. The inadequacy of a single CT study to diagnose DAT is clearly related to the overlap of brain atrophy in DAT and healthy aging, a finding which has also been noted in post-mortem studies. Estimating the rate of ventricular enlargement from quantitative measurements of ventricular size on successive CT scans may allow the physician to take advantage of the progressive nature of DAT, improving separation of DAT patients from healthy controls.