Dementia is a debilitating and life-altering disease which leads to both memory impairment and decline of normal executive functioning. While causes of dementia are numerous and varied, the leading cause among patients 60 years and older is Alzheimer’s disease. The gold standard for Alzheimer’s diagnosis remains histological identification of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles within the medial temporal lobe, more specifically the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. Although no definitive cure for Alzheimer's disease currently exists, there are treatments targeted at preserving cognition and memory while delaying continued loss of function. Alzheimer's disease exists along a spectrum of cognitive decline and is often preceded by Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Patients with MCI demonstrate memory loss and cognitive impairment while still continuing normal activities of daily living, and are considered to be at increased risk for developing Alzheimer's Dementia. Identifying patients with prodromal states of Alzheimer's dementia such as MCI may allow initiation of appropriate treatment planning and delay of cognitive decline. Therefore, the need for a non-invasive early biomarker for the detection of Alzheimer's disease has never been greater. Multiple neuroimaging methods utilizing visual rating scales, volumetric measurements, and automated methods have been developed to identify, quantify, and track anatomic sequelae of Alzheimer’s Disease.

中文翻译：

---

结构性脑MRI在阿尔茨海默病诊断中的比较分析。

痴呆症是一种使人衰弱和改变生活的疾病，会导致记忆障碍和正常执行功能下降。虽然痴呆症的病因多种多样，但 60 岁及以上患者的主要原因是阿尔茨海默病。阿尔茨海默病诊断的金标准仍然是内侧颞叶内淀粉样斑块和神经原纤维缠结的组织学鉴定，更具体地说是内嗅皮层和海马。虽然目前还没有彻底治愈阿尔茨海默病的方法，但有一些治疗方法旨在保护认知和记忆，同时延迟功能的持续丧失。阿尔茨海默病伴随着一系列认知能力下降，并且通常先于轻度认知障碍 (MCI)。MCI 患者表现出记忆力减退和认知障碍，同时仍继续正常的日常生活活动，并且被认为患阿尔茨海默氏症的风险增加。识别患有阿尔茨海默病前驱状态（如 MCI）的患者可以启动适当的治疗计划并延迟认知能力下降。因此，对用于检测阿尔茨海默病的非侵入性早期生物标志物的需求从未如此强烈。已经开发了多种利用视觉评定量表、体积测量和自动化方法的神经成像方法来识别、量化和跟踪阿尔茨海默病的解剖后遗症。识别患有阿尔茨海默病前驱状态（如 MCI）的患者可以启动适当的治疗计划并延迟认知能力下降。因此，对用于检测阿尔茨海默病的非侵入性早期生物标志物的需求从未如此强烈。已经开发了多种利用视觉评定量表、体积测量和自动化方法的神经成像方法来识别、量化和跟踪阿尔茨海默病的解剖后遗症。识别患有阿尔茨海默病前驱状态（如 MCI）的患者可以启动适当的治疗计划并延迟认知能力下降。因此，对用于检测阿尔茨海默病的非侵入性早期生物标志物的需求从未如此强烈。已经开发了多种利用视觉评定量表、体积测量和自动化方法的神经成像方法来识别、量化和跟踪阿尔茨海默病的解剖后遗症。