Relationships between psychological measurements and cerebral organic changes in Alzheimer's disease.

Twenty-two patients were carefully defined as having progressive dementia without other known cause and not complicated by clinical or laboratory evidence of multiinfarct dementia. Their degree of dementia measured by the ESD correlated highly with EEG disturbance (r=-0.79). The LPRS correlated 0.73 with ventricular enlargement. Although the EEG and CT scan only correlated significantly with each other in advanced cases, a combined index of EEG and CT Scan change, (Physical Measures Index) achieved a correlation of 0.93 with a combined index of psychological change (Psychological Measures Index). The results indicate the possiblity of using physical and psychological measures to monitor quantitative change in Alzheimer's Disease, the EEG contributing more initially and the CT scan more in the most advanced cases.