Advanced brain imaging procedures and human memory disorder

The impact of advanced brain imaging procedures in the field of human memory disorder is reviewed, with particular emphasis on current and potential applications that may impact upon the diagnosis and management of memory-disordered patients. While both advanced structural, resting physiological and functional physiological brain imaging procedures have been applied to conditions where memory disorder is a major feature, the specific implications of research findings for diagnosis and treatment in routine clinical practice remain tentative and promising, but not yet substantive enough to inform clinical decisions to a significant degree. In terms of diagnostic applications, several promising areas include dementia, epilepsy, and transient amnesic states. In the case of applications in treatment settings, advanced brain imaging procedures may help to monitor neural correlates of spontaneous recovery or progression of memory function, and may also help in the planning and monitoring of therapeutic intervention.

When is positron emission tomography really necessary in epilepsy diagnosis?

Positron emission tomography can be used for localization of epileptic foci, and preoperative functional mapping. Rapid improvements in magnetic resonance imaging, however, have restricted the need for positron emission tomography to a minority of patients who have unrevealing magnetic resonance imaging scans. Positron emission tomography will continue to be of value in investigations of the pathophysiology of seizure disorders.