Reduction of regional brain glucose metabolism (rBGM) measured by [18F]FDG-PET in
the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) has been associated with a higher
conversion rate from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease
(AD). Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) is a potential biomarker that has
disclosed Naa/mI reductions within the PCC in both MCI and AD. Studies
investigating the relationships between the two modalities are scarce.ObjectiveTo evaluate differences and possible correlations between the findings of
rBGM and NAA/mI in the PCC of individuals with AD, MCI and of cognitively
normal volunteers.MethodsPatients diagnosed with AD (N=32) or MCI (N=27) and cognitively normal older
adults (CG, N=28), were submitted to [18F]FDG-PET and MRS to analyze the
PCC. The two methods were compared and possible correlations between the
modalities were investigated.ResultsThe AD group exhibited rBGM reduction in the PCC when compared to the CG but
not in the MCI group. MRS revealed lower NAA/mI values in the AD group
compared to the CG but not in the MCI group. A positive correlation between
rBGM and NAA/mI in the PCC was found. NAA/mI reduction in the PCC
differentiated AD patients from control subjects with an area under the ROC
curve of 0.70, while [18F]FDG-PET yielded a value of 0.93.ConclusionrBGM and Naa/mI in the PCC were positively correlated in patients with MCI
and AD. [18F]FDG-PET had greater accuracy than MRS for discriminating AD
patients from controls.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.