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Updated: Jul 25, 2026
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Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
Published on: February 14, 2014
Brain function and cognition in a community sample of elderly Latinos
William J Jagust1, J L Eberling, C C Wu
1Department of Neurology, University of California-Davis Medical Center, 4860 Y Street, Suite 3700, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. wjjagust@ucdavis.edu
Neurology
|August 15, 2002
Summary
Reduced posterior cingulate cortex metabolism, a marker of Alzheimer's disease (AD), was observed in Mexican Americans with cognitive impairment. This finding supports its role as an early indicator of dementia risk.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Metabolic studies
- Cognitive impairment research
Background:
- Previous PET studies linked temporoparietal and posterior cingulate cortex metabolic reductions to dementia risk.
- This study investigated these findings in a diverse population-based cohort of Mexican Americans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine cerebral glucose metabolism in Mexican Americans across a spectrum of cognitive function.
- To determine if posterior cingulate hypometabolism predicts dementia in this population.
Main Methods:
- 93 participants from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging were categorized by cognitive status (normal to demented).
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose measured metabolism.
- Data analyzed using statistical parametric mapping and an atrophy-corrected volume of interest approach.
Main Results:
- Dementia patients showed significant posterior cingulate cortex hypometabolism.
- Cognitively Impaired but Not Demented (CIND) individuals exhibited less pronounced reductions.
- Cingulate hypometabolism was a significant predictor of dementia, even when accounting for MRI-derived brain structure measures.
Conclusions:
- Posterior cingulate hypometabolism is detectable in dementia patients from a population with lower education and high vascular risk, confirming generalizability.
- Metabolic reductions in the posterior cingulate cortex can precede dementia onset, particularly in individuals with advanced cognitive symptoms.
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