Structural and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Dementia With Lewy Bodies

Abstract

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common cause of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although diagnosis may be challenging, there is increasing evidence that the use of biomarkers according to 2017 revised criteria for diagnosis and management of dementia with Lewy bodies can increase diagnostic accuracy. Apart from nuclear medicine techniques, various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have been utilized in attempt to enhance diagnostic accuracy. This chapter reviews structural, functional and diffusion MRI studies in DLB cohorts being compared to healthy controls, AD or dementia in Parkinson's disease (PDD). We also included relatively new MRI methods that may have potential to identify early DLB subjects and aim at examining brain iron and neuromelanin.

Keywords: Diffusion tensor imaging; Functional; MRI; Neuromelanin; Nigrosome-1; Quantitative susceptibility mapping; Resting state fMRI; Structural; White matter hyperintensities.