[Novel neuroimaging perspectives in the diagnosis of dementia].

Neuroimaging is an essential part of the etiological diagnosis of dementia. In this review, techniques that enhance the information extracted from routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are presented. In addition, novel techniques of MR acquisition and analyses are reported that may become part of routine diagnostics in the future. These include automated analysis of structural MRI, proton MR spectroscopy, diffusion tensor imaging, perfusion MRI, and functional MRI. From nuclear medicine, the key techniques of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and dopamine transporter single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for early and differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia and Lewy body dementia and the innovation of amyloid PET are presented.