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J. Haan; H. C. Weinstein; M. J. P. G. Van Kroonenburgh; E. A. Van Royen; J. B. K. Lanser; M. Derix; O. J. S. Buruma; A. Hijdra
Departments of Neurology, Neuropsychology, and Nuclear Medicine University Hospital PO Box 9600 2300 RC Leiden the Netherlands Academic Medical Centre Meibergdreef 9 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Arch Neurol. 1989;46(11):1165-1166.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—We would like to comment on the article by Johnson et al¹ that appeared in the April 1988 issue of the ARCHIVES.¹ The authors reported that single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) brain imaging with iofetamine hydrochloride I 123 was able to reflect dementia severity in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). To determine dementia severity, they used a global estimate of functional disability on a 4-point scale.

Dividing a group of patients with AD into several groups based on functional impairment seems rather artificial. The great range of overlap in score on the Blessed Dementia Scale² between the four groups (Table 1 in the article) seems to support this. In our opinion, a comparison of the whole spectrum of dementia should be made with SPECT abnormalities. Further-more, dementia severity was determined by estimating functional disability, without referring to previous ability. We think that the . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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