title: Relation of EEG alpha background to parietal lobe function in Alzheimer's disease as measured by positron emission tomography and psychometry.
abstract: Fourteen patients with Alzheimer's disease were evaluated by psychometric testing, fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET), and EEG. They were divided into two groups according to the EEG findings. Group A (seven patients) had normal alpha backgrounds and group B (seven patients) had decreased alpha backgrounds. Group A had significantly higher WAIS Performance IQ scores (p = 0.005) than group B. Group A also had higher Weschler Memory Scale scores (p = 0.047) and parietal glucose metabolic rates (p = 0.038) than group B, but these differences are not statistically significant given the multiple comparisons made between the two groups. Relative intactness of parietal lobe function, as measured by psychometric testing and PET, appears to correlate with preservation of EEG alpha background. The EEG may be useful in assessing regional cortical involvement or the clinical stage in Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Branch, NINCDS, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Sheridan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fedio
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Chase
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000513:Alpha Rhythm; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D005947:Glucose