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Volumetric MRI as a Diagnostic Tool in Alzheimer’s Disease

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Immunotherapy and Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Disorders

Part of the book series: Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology ((MIPT))

Abstract

Brain atrophy is one of the key features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and neuroimaging techniques, such as computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have made it possible to study this pathological process in vivo. However, the use of clinical imaging in dementia evaluation is often suboptimal. Evidence supports the role of regional and global atrophy as well as white matter changes as markers of disease in dementia. There is an urgent need to apply this knowledge to optimize clinical imaging practice. In the following chapter we describe different methods to measure or estimate brain structures and white matter changes. Methods to judge the presence and distribution of cerebral microbleeds are also discussed. We describe both methods that are used in clinical practice today and methods that are still only applied in research or in clinical trials. The more advanced automated methods to estimate brain atrophy as well as other changes will hopefully be implemented in clinical practice in the future.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Eric Westman & Lars-Olof Wahlund

  2. Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Lena Cavalin

  3. Department of Radiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    Lena Cavalin

Authors
  1. Eric Westman
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  2. Lena Cavalin
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  3. Lars-Olof Wahlund
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lars-Olof Wahlund .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept Public Health & Caring Sci Ger, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Martin Ingelsson

  2. Dept Public Health & Caring Sci Ger, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Lars Lannfelt

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Westman, E., Cavalin, L., Wahlund, LO. (2016). Volumetric MRI as a Diagnostic Tool in Alzheimer’s Disease. In: Ingelsson, M., Lannfelt, L. (eds) Immunotherapy and Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Disorders. Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3560-4_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3560-4_12

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-3558-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-3560-4

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