Effects of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on brain metabolism in Alzheimer's disease
Cunlu Xu1, Zhenhua Wang, Ming Fan
1LIAMA Center for Computational Medicine, National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
Earlier studies showed that the Val66Met polymorphisms of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor differentially affect gray matter volume and brain region activities. This study used resting positron emission tomography to investigate the relationship between the polymorphisms of Val66Met and the regional cerebral metabolic rate in the brain. We analyzed the positron emission tomography images of 215 patients from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and found significant differences in the parahippocampal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, prefrontal cortex, and inferior parietal lobule when comparing Met carriers with noncarriers among both the normal controls and those with mild cognitive impairment. For those with Alzheimer's disease, we also found additional differences in the bilateral insula between the carriers and noncarriers.
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