Computed tomography in the elderly: I. The normal population.

Computed tomographic (CT) and brief psychometric findings on 50 psychiatrically and neurologically healthy community residents over 60 years old are presented. The need for normative CT data is emphasized, and the methodological problems in obtaining them are discussed. Measures of ventricular size were generally found to be greater than those reported by other workers, and variation with age was also found to be less marked than hitherto reported. A reciprocal relationship was found between a global rating of cortical atrophy and a test of memory and orientation. This communication forms the basis for comparison with groups of psychiatric patients to be presented in subsequent articles.