The spectrum of imaging and neuropsychological findings in Pick's disease

Abstract

To seek improved methods for the diagnosis of Pick's disease, we reviewed imaging studies of four women and two men (ages 48 to 65 years at onset) and psychometric testing of three of them with autopsy or biopsy-proved Pick's. The presence of Pick bodies was required for the diagnosis. Seven patients with biopsy-proved Alzheimer's disease served as a comparison group. In the Pick's patients, CT in five of six showed marked frontal pole or temporal pole atrophy, which clearly differed from the pattern of cerebral atrophy seen in the Alzheimer's patients. Psychometric testing showed performance patterns that tended to differ from those of the Alzheimer's patients in that recent memory was relatively preserved despite marked impairment of executive functions. The distinctive psychometric pattern in the Pick's patients was evanescent, however. Thus, there were imaging and psychometric findings of potential diagnostic value for Pick's disease, but, for different reasons, they were imperfect.