[Contribution to the diagnosis of cortical atrophy: evaluation of computer tomograms and angiograms of patients over 70 years old (author's transl)].

To find evidence of cortical atrophy, 112 computer tomograms and 40 angiograms of patients above the age of 70 were evaluated. In the CT the width of the interhemispheric and of the sylvian fissure, in the angiograms the distance between the vessels extending into the interhemispheric fissure (anteroposterior view) and the distance between the cortical branches and the inner table (lateral view) were measured. The same measurements were performed in 100 normal computer tomograms and in 100 normal angiograms of patients between 20 and 40 years old. Statistically significant differences could be ascertained between the mean values for the patients over 70 and those for the younger ones, indicating that age-induced cerebral atrophy can be neuroradiologically demonstrated. The radiologic findings, however, do not necessarily correspond to the grade of intellectual impairment in the elderly. Neuropathologic and molecular biological research could bring us closer to the solution of this correlative problem.