Single photon emission computed tomography in dementia: relationship of perfusion to cognitive deficits.
Sixteen patients with dementia (nine with Alzheimer's disease and seven with multi-infarct dementia) were studied with xenon-133 and hexamethyl-propyleneamine-oxime single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Quantification of cerebral blood flow was determined in 16 hemispheric regions of interest. Neuropsychological deficits were assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Neurobehavior Cognitive Status Examination. Alzheimer's disease patients had symmetric reduction of parietal lobe perfusion; multi-infarct dementia patients had multifocal perfusion deficits. Correlations were demonstrated between cerebral blood flow in the posterior brain regions and performance on tests of language, memory, attention, figure copying, judgment, and similarities. Alzheimer's disease patients exhibited more language impairment than multi-infarct dementia patients. SPECT promises to provide diagnostic information and data relevant to interpretation of neuropsychological deficits.
Engel
P
P
Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington.
Cummings
J L
JL
Villanueva-Meyer
J
J
Mena
I
I
D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon