Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 26, 2026
Hybrid PET/MRI Imaging of Alzheimer's Disease Based on 18F-AV-1451
Published on: April 18, 2025
Complementarity of visual and voxel-based FDG-PET analysis to detect MCI-like hypometabolic pattern in elderly
Axel Van Der Gucht1, Antoine Verger2, Yalcin Yagdigul3
1Department of Nuclear Medicine, CHU-Nancy, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France axel.vandergucht@gmail.com.
Background:
18F-FDG PET can be used to aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and clarify the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Purpose:
To compare the results of a quantitative analysis of FDG-PET brain images to a standard visual analysis (SVA) with regards to the detection of MCI-like hypometabolic pattern in elderly patients with hypertension and subjective, isolated memory complaints.
Material And Methods:
FDG-PET brain was performed in 71 patients (mean age, 76.4 ± 5.1 years; women, 53.5%). Images were analyzed for the presence of an MCI-like hypometabolic pattern using an SVA by 2 physicians and a voxel-based statistical procedure (statistical parametric mapping [SPM]) that compared each patient's images to normal reference samples from 19 elderly individuals obtained using the same PET camera. The reliability of these analyses was evaluated according to neuropsychological assessment results, including the Grober & Buschke Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test, and a combined analysis by a neuropsychologist.
Results:
An MCI-like hypometabolic pattern was documented in 5 patients (7%) by SVA and 7 patients (10%) by SPM analysis; however, only 2 of these patients were selected by both methods. The group characteristics of the 7 patients identified by the quantitative method were consistent with the MCI pattern, which included a higher rate of abnormal GB-FCSRT in Free Recall (57% vs. 9%, p < 0.05) or in Total Recall (29% vs. 8%, p < 0.05) when compared with other patients. In contrast, the group identified by SVA did not exhibit these characteristics.
Conclusion:
A combined visual and quantitative analysis improves the diagnostic accuracy to detect an MCI-like hypometabolic pattern in elderly patients with hypertension and subjective, isolated memory complaints.
Insights
Quantitative analysis of FDG-PET brain scans, combined with visual assessment, enhances the detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patterns in elderly patients experiencing memory issues.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Geriatrics
Background:
- 18F-FDG PET imaging aids in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- It helps clarify diagnosis and prognosis for mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Purpose of the Study:
- Compare quantitative FDG-PET analysis with standard visual analysis (SVA).
- Assess detection of MCI-like hypometabolic patterns in hypertensive elderly patients with memory complaints.
Main Methods:
- FDG-PET brain imaging in 71 elderly patients (mean age 76.4).
- Analysis using SVA by physicians and voxel-based statistical parametric mapping (SPM).
- Reliability assessed via neuropsychological tests (Grober & Buschke Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test).
Main Results:
- MCI-like hypometabolism detected in 7% by SVA and 10% by SPM; only 2 patients overlapped.
- SPM-identified patients showed higher rates of abnormal memory recall (p < 0.05).
- SVA-identified group did not show these cognitive characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Combined visual and quantitative analysis improves diagnostic accuracy for MCI-like hypometabolism.
- This approach is beneficial for elderly hypertensive patients with memory complaints.
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