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.
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