[A study on the cerebral glucose metabolism in progressive supranuclear palsy]

To study the regional cerebral glucose utilization with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET and to investigate the correlation between cerebral glucose metabolism and the clinical characteristic of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

A total of 13 patients with PSP and 30 matched healthy controls were performed (18)F-FDG PET imaging at rest state. Visual inspection and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) were used to investigate regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (rCMRglc).

Based on the visual inspection, PET imaging in the PSP patients showed that the focal hypometabolic areas mainly included the bilateral frontal cortex, midbrain and subcortical structures. Compared to the controls, voxel-based analysis showed that the regional glucose metabolism decreased in bilateral superior, middle frontal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, midbrain and subcortical structures including basal ganglion and thalamus, which were consisted with the clinical characteristics, such as vertical gaze palsy, pseudobulbar palsy, postural instability, axial rigidity, dementia and so on.

(18)F-FDG PET imaging is helpful for the early diagnosis of PSP.