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What Does The Following CT Scan Report Suggest?
In January my mom had a CT scan showing: Nonspecific mild to moderate generalized parenchymal volume loss. Nonspecific, mild deep white matter changes, statistically representing small vessel ischemic changes, likely chronic. The report from an MRI in Dec 2016 showed: IMP: 1. No definite evidence of acute ischemia. 2. Mild cortical atrophy with multiple foci of increased T2 FLAIR signal in the periventricular and subcortical white matter, which is likely secondary to chronic microvascular ischemic disease. Is any of this convincing evidence of dementia?
Sat, 22 Sep 2018
Hi,
Dementia is not a diagnosis made by imaging. Imaging may help to identify the cause but it doesn't assess cognitive functions. Diagnosis is made by neuropsychological tests, testing different areas of cognition like memory, language, judgment etc., for impairment. If such impairment is found imaging is done to look for possible causes like stroke, tumors etc., not to make the diagnosis of dementia.
Changes like atrophy or chronic small vessel ischemic changes are found in many people after the age of 65, they are more common in dementia patients but they do not necessarily go hand in hand with cognitive impairment, only neuropsychological tests can assess that.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Olsi Taka,
Neurologist
Dementia is not a diagnosis made by imaging. Imaging may help to identify the cause but it doesn't assess cognitive functions. Diagnosis is made by neuropsychological tests, testing different areas of cognition like memory, language, judgment etc., for impairment. If such impairment is found imaging is done to look for possible causes like stroke, tumors etc., not to make the diagnosis of dementia.
Changes like atrophy or chronic small vessel ischemic changes are found in many people after the age of 65, they are more common in dementia patients but they do not necessarily go hand in hand with cognitive impairment, only neuropsychological tests can assess that.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Olsi Taka,
Neurologist
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