Abstract: Objective To compare the features of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG) to differentiate Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD). Methods It was analyzed of the MRI and EEG from 39 patients with AD and 56 patients with VD, to compare the proportion of cerebral atrophy, hippocampal atrophy and leukoaraiosis in MRI, and the proportion of the moderate to severe disorder of EEG and the power spectrum. Results The proportion of cerebral atrophy and hippocampal atrophy was more and leukoaraiosis was less in the AD group than those in the VD group. The proportion of the moderate to severe disorder of EEG increased in AD group, and the ratio of (θ+δ)/(α+β) of whole brain was more in the AD group than in the VD group (P<0.05). Conclusion It is more likely to be AD in dementia patients with atrophy without leukoaraiosis and cerebral ischemic lesions, especially for those with severe abnormal EEG.

Key words: Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, electroencephalogram, magnetic resonance imaging