Research staff
PD Dr. P. Schönknecht, Dipl.-Psych. R. Henze, Prof. Dr. M. Essig, Prof. Dr. J. Schröder
Cooperation partner
- Section Radiology (German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg)
- Section Geronto-Psychiatry (Psychiatric University Hospital, University Medical Centre Heidelberg)
Background
Volumetric mrt-measurements of the brain in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and alzheimer's disease (AD) indicated that certain brain areas of the medial temporal lobe are already concerned in a initial stage. The perfusion-mrt could be a attractive alternative, because it could be accomplish with a structural mrt-examination and it is cheaper than a PET. In patients with MCI and AD the perfusion-mrt is not systematically explored until now. The applicants assumed that the MCI is characterized by certain strucural and functional changes in the medial temporal lobe, which aided itself in the clinical course in patients, who generated an AD later. Furthermore, there is the assumption, that in the perfusion-mrt and in PET similar patterns of the cerebral changes occur, that are related to specific neuro-psychologic deficits and vary depended on the levels of education and training.
