Magnetic Resonance Imaging Hyperintensities in Alzheimer's Disease

To the Editor. —In an imaging study of Alzheimer's disease and normal aging, Leys et al, 1 using our rating scale, 2 found no difference in magnetic resonance imaging white matter hyperintensities between the two groups, and only a trend toward increased periventricular hyperintensity in patients with Alzheimer's disease. This is in contrast to our initial observation of a hyperintense "halo" in six of 12 cases of Alzheimer's disease. 2 We would like to emphasize, however, that a part of us (F.F., R.S., H.O.) could not replicate this finding in a subsequent study performed under similar conditions. There still remains a trend toward more signal abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease, however. The Table summarizes the current data from subjects without cerebrovascular risk factors in this ongoing project. 3 A disproportionately higher number of patients with more marked ventricular enlargement in our first study appears to be the likeliest explanation for these