Neuroimaging Applications in Elderly Patients

Abstract

Although geriatric psychiatry has evolved into a specialty with increasingly sophisticated diagnostic and treatment tools, the incorporation of neuroimaging into the field has been challenging. A major reason for the difficulty is the rapid evolution and diversity of neuroimaging methodology, without there being a circumscribed set of procedures or measures with established clinical relevance. Nonetheless, neuroimaging methods are vital for obtaining in vivo information on brain structure and functioning, thus bridging molecular and systems understanding of brain and behavior. It is therefore difficult to imagine future research and even practice of geriatric psychiatry that does not exploit the ability to link behavior to the anatomic and functional integrity of its organ. We hope this special issue will help spark much-needed further research relevant to understanding the process of brain aging—interacting with age-related disorders—in a way that is helpful to geriatric psychiatry. At the same time, geriatric psychiatrists need to become familiar with the potential of neuroimaging, so that the field will be in a position to harness this methodology in the service of improved assessment and care. Our goal is to highlight the available methodologies and point to some opportunities and challenges for geriatric psychiatry.