July 13, 2009 - A new study by Mayo Clinic researchers uses MRI-based differential diagnosis for identifying three common neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and Lewy body disease using Structural MRI.
The study presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, on July 11, 2009, in Vienna, introduced the "STructural Abnormality iNDex" or STAND-Map, is designed to accurately diagnosing dementia patients while they are alive. neurodegenerative disorder can be associated with a unique pattern of atrophy specific on MRI, then it may be possible to differentially diagnose new patients. The study looked at 90 patients from the Mayo Clinic database who were confirmed to have only a single dementia pathology and also underwent an MRI at the time of clinical diagnosis of dementia. Using the STAND-Map framework, researchers predicted an accurate pathological diagnosis 75 to 80 percent of the time.
The researchers believe the STAND-Map framework has potential in early diagnosis of dementia patients.
The senior author of this Mayo Clinic research study is Clifford Jack, M.D. Other members included Kejal Kantarci, M.D.; Matthew L. Senjem; Jeffrey Gunter; Jennifer Whitwell, Ph.D.; Keith Josephs, M.D.; David Knopman, M.D.; Bradley Boeve, M.D.; Tanis Ferman, Ph.D.; Dennis Dickson, M.D.; and Ronald Petersen, M.D., Ph.D.
This work was supported in part by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, Robert H. Smith Family Foundation Research Fellowship, Alexander Family Alzheimer's Disease Research Professorship.
For more information: www.mayoclinic.com
March 13, 2026 
