The many faces of dementia.

Dementia is a progressive and incurable condition that in one way or another affects nearly everyone. Examples of specific types of dementia include Alzheimer disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. Age is the primary risk factor for dementia and the long-term social and economic effects of dementia are immense. Functional medical imaging is an important research tool that eventually may become a practical screening tool for early-stage dementia, to confirm a clinical diagnosis and to help clinicians manage patient care. Functional medical imaging also may play a role in research regarding the development of new medications to prevent or delay the progression of Alzheimer disease and other dementias. This article is a Directed Reading. Your access to Directed Reading quizzes for continuing education credit is determined by your area of interest. For access to other quizzes, go to www.asrt.org/store.