Abstract
With increasing life expectancy (the number of elderly people developing dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD), is growing. The early detection and appropriate diagnostics are important for disease-modifying therapies.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain permits monitoring of volume changes in the whole brain or its regions. AD is characterised by atrophy of the whole brain and the medial temporal lobe (MTL), including the hippocampus, enthorinal cortex and amygdala, even in the early stages of the disease.
Volumetric assessment of MTL regions predicts future conversion of subjects with mild cognitive impairment to AD. Atrophy of the brain and MTL accelerate as the disease progresses.
Volumetric analysis becomes more important with the advent of new and more specific therapeutic strategies to monitor the efficacy.)