2020 年 37 巻 3 号 p. 261-264
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by symptoms and signs due to a loss of neurons from a specific part of the brain. It is difficult to make a definite diagnosis of these diseases, because so far there is no highly specific biomarkers that are useful for differential diagnosis. To make a precise clinical diagnosis of the neurodegenerative diseases showing movement disturbance or dementia, various neuroimaging techniques are available in clinical field. Although a magnetic resonance imaging or a computed tomography visualizes the anatomical information of the patient's brain, such as atrophy or changes of parenchymal signal intensity/density, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or a positron emission tomography (PET) can visualize the functional alteration in the disease process. Since SPECT/PET findings can reflect early pathological changes occurred in the affected brains, these images will contribute to enable early therapeutic intervention.
