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Cerebral perfusion in progressive supranuclear palsy.
K A Johnson1, R A Sperling, B L Holman
1Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Summary
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patients show reduced brain activity in key areas like the basal ganglia and frontal cortex. [123I] iofetamine (IMP) SPECT imaging reveals these functional changes, correlating with cognitive deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Radiology
Background:
- Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disease.
- PSP is characterized by functional disconnection of the cerebral cortex due to subcortical lesions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess brain functional activity in PSP patients using [123I] iofetamine (IMP) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).
- To correlate functional brain changes with cognitive performance in PSP.
Main Methods:
- 11 PSP patients and 10 healthy controls underwent IMP-SPECT imaging.
- IMP uptake was measured in basal ganglia and 24 cortical regions.
- Neuropsychological tests assessed cognitive function.
Main Results:
- PSP patients exhibited significantly reduced relative IMP uptake in basal ganglia (21%), superior frontal (25%), anterior parietal (19%), and inferior frontal (18%) regions compared to controls.
- Cognitive impairments were most pronounced in tests associated with frontal lobe function.
Conclusions:
- IMP-SPECT imaging effectively detects physiological abnormalities in the cerebral cortex of PSP patients.
- These functional brain changes detected by IMP-SPECT correlate with observed behavioral and cognitive impairments in PSP.