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Published on: June 7, 2024
Changes in cerebral glucose metabolism with normal aging
R Blesa1, E Mohr, R S Miletich
1Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Servei de Neurologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainUniversity of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine/Neurology, Ottawa Civic Hospital and Elisabeth Bruyere Health Center, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaDent Neurological Institute, Millard Filmore Hospital, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USAExperimental Therapeutics Branch, NINDS, National Institutes of Health*, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Abstract:
The pattern of changes in cerebral glucose metabolism occurring with normal aging has been unclear. Advances in imaging technology, such as improved resolution and anatomical referencing, allow for more precise regional measurement than previously possible. This study explored cerebral glucose metabolism in 17 normal controls ranging in age from 20 to 74 years. High resolution PET scanning, with MRI-based regions of interest correcting for partial volume and atrophy effects, revealed a linear association between advancing age and declining cerebral glucose metabolism. The decline averaged 8% per decade for the whole brain. Changes were most pronounced in limbic structures, and could be implicated in age-associated memory loss.
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