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Metabolic correlates of cognitive function in children with unilateral Sturge-Weber syndrome: Evidence for regional

Jeong-A Kim1,2, Jeong-Won Jeong1,2,3, Michael E Behen1,2

  • 1PET Center and Translational Imaging Laboratory, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, USA.

Human Brain Mapping
|December 24, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Children with unilateral Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) show early cognitive reorganization. Left-hemisphere SWS is linked to verbal skill gains and non-verbal skill deficits, with metabolic changes in the opposite brain hemisphere.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Unilateral Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) can lead to cognitive impairments.
  • Early detection of cognitive reorganization is crucial for intervention in children with SWS.
  • Understanding hemispheric metabolic changes provides insights into SWS-related neurodevelopmental alterations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate metabolic changes in both hemispheres of children with unilateral SWS.
  • To correlate regional glucose uptake and interhemispheric connectivity with cognitive function.
  • To investigate early cognitive reorganization patterns in pediatric SWS.

Main Methods:

  • 2-deoxy-2[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG)-PET scans were used to assess regional glucose uptake in 27 children with unilateral SWS and 27 age-matched controls.
  • Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analyzed FDG-PET abnormalities and interhemispheric metabolic connectivity.
  • Cognitive function (IQ) was assessed and correlated with metabolic findings in left- and right-hemispheric SWS subgroups.

Main Results:

  • Children with SWS exhibited significantly higher verbal IQ than non-verbal IQ.
  • Left-hemispheric SWS correlated metabolic abnormalities in the affected hemisphere with IQ.
  • Interhemispheric metabolic connectivity was diminished in SWS patients compared to controls, with inverse correlations observed in the unaffected hemisphere.

Conclusions:

  • Left-hemispheric SWS is associated with early reorganization of verbal functions and potential deficits in non-verbal abilities.
  • Metabolic abnormalities in the contralateral hemisphere are linked to cognitive changes in SWS.
  • FDG-PET imaging reveals distinct metabolic patterns and connectivity alterations in pediatric SWS, aiding in understanding cognitive reorganization.

Keywords:
PETcognitive functioncrowdingmetabolic connectivityreorganizationsturge-weber syndrome

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