Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging and the severity of dementia in Alzheimer's disease

The T2 component of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal was measured in 11 brain loci in six elderly patients diagnosed as having probable Alzheimer's disease. T2 values and relative amount of periventricular high-intensity foci were significantly correlated with dementia severity, indicated by the Blessed-Roth Dementia Scale score. Although the mean T2 value for left hemispheric structures was more closely correlated with the dementia score, T2 values did not differ significantly in the right and left hemispheres or in gray and white matter. These findings suggest that more severe dementia in Alzheimer's disease is associated with more water in the brain.