Neuroimaging techniques provide another tool for diagnosing dementia-related diseases in living subjects.
	Various forms of equipment have been developed, all of which rely upon the properties of chemistry and physics to reproduce two-dimensional images of brain structures.  Within the field of neuropsychiatry, radioactive (CT,  PET, and SPECT) and non-radioactive (MRI, MRA) methods are commonly employed in order to track changes in the appearance of the brain.
	This picture shows an MRI machine (Magnetic Resonance Imaging).
	Using MRI technology, scientists are able to discern the features of different components within the brain (e.g., white matter vs. gray matter, fluid vs. solid tissue).   The goal of anatomical studies is to take “snapshots” of the brain in order to identify normal or abnormal structures.  So-called “functional” brain scans (fMRI) compare changes in blood flow which accompany specific activities or states of mentation.