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Semi-quantitative Assessment Using [18F]FDG Tracer in Patients with Severe Brain Injury
Published on: November 9, 2018
Dissociating behavioral disorders in early dementia-An FDG-PET study
Matthias L Schroeter1, Barbara Vogt2, Stefan Frisch2
1Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Day Clinic of Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; LIFE - Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Psychiatry Research
|November 3, 2011
Summary
This study links behavioral changes in dementia, like apathy and disinhibition, to specific brain glucose metabolism patterns found using fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). These findings offer insights into dementia
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Behavioral impairments are common in dementia.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has identified neural correlates of these impairments.
- Regional hypometabolism on fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) may precede or exceed atrophy in dementia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically investigate the neural correlates of behavioral disorders in dementia using FDG-PET.
- To relate specific behavioral symptoms to regional brain glucose utilization reductions.
- To identify distinct neural networks associated with apathy, disinhibition, and eating disorders in early dementia.
Main Methods:
- Utilized FDG-PET to measure brain glucose metabolism in 54 subjects with early dementia (Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, subjective cognitive impairment).
- Employed Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM5) to correlate Neuropsychiatric Inventory assessments of behavioral disorders with regional hypometabolism.
- Conducted single regressor, conjunction, and disjunction analyses to identify overlapping and specific neural networks.
Main Results:
- Apathy, disinhibition, and eating disorders significantly correlated with regional brain hypometabolism.
- Frontomedian regions were associated with all three behavioral domains.
- Specific neural networks were identified for apathy (ventral tegmental area), disinhibition (anterior temporal lobes, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, insulae), and eating disorders (orbitofrontal cortex/insula).
Conclusions:
- FDG-PET can identify specific neural correlates of behavioral deficits in early dementia.
- Findings suggest distinct neurobiological underpinnings for apathy, disinhibition, and eating disorders.
- Results may inform targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for behavioral symptoms in dementia.
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01:22Dementia l: Introduction
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01:30Dementia
Dementia is a collective term for cognitive disorders primarily affecting memory, thinking, and reasoning. It is not a specific disease but a syndrome, with Alzheimer's disease being the most common cause, accounting for approximately 60-80% of cases. Other types include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Dementia affects millions worldwide, particularly older adults, though it is not a normal part of aging.
The progression of dementia is generally gradual.
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01:29Positron Emission Tomography
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique involving radiopharmaceuticals — substances that emit short-lived radiation. Although the first PET scanner was introduced in 1961, it took 15 more years before radiopharmaceuticals were combined with the technique and revolutionized its potential.
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