Clinical diagnosis of frontal lobe dementia and Alzheimer's disease: relation to cerebral perfusion, brain atrophy and electroencephalography.

The regional cerebral blood flow, brain atrophy, white matter changes and neurophysiologic changes were evaluated in 28 patients with a clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in 8 patients with a clinical diagnosis of frontal lobe dementia (FLD) using single photon emission computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography (EEG). We found that FLD patients had more severe frontal blood flow reduction and less severe parietal blood flow reduction compared to AD patients. Among patients with mild dementia the EEG changes were less severe in the FLD group. No significant differences were found in white matter changes or in regional atrophy.