If the Brain Is Shrinking, Where Does the Extra Fluid Come From?
Brain scans taken during the assessment and progression of dementia often show increasing amounts of fluid around and within the brain. If the brain is shrinking, where is all that fluid coming from? This article explains what cerebrospinal fluid is, why it becomes more visible as dementia progresses, and what different types of brain scan can tell us — including why no scan can ever tell the whole story of a person living with dementia.