Relationship between antisocial behavior and regional cerebral blood flow in frontotemporal dementia.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between antisocial behaviors and reduction of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).


METHODS
Brain perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed in 22 patients with FTD and 76 age-matched healthy volunteers. The statistical analysis was conducted using the SPM99 software. The antisocial behavioral symptoms were assessed independently by three geriatric psychiatrists, who had not been given the information of the SPECT images.


RESULTS
Compared with normal controls, FTD patients showed significant reduction of rCBF in the widespread frontal cortical areas. The correlation analysis showed that antisocial behavioral symptoms are associated with reduction of rCBF in the orbitofrontal cortex.


CONCLUSIONS
The functional decline of orbitofrontal cortex is related to antisocial behavioral symptoms in patients with FTD.
Nakano
Seigo
S
Fifth Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Japan. seigo-n@fukuoka-u.ac.jp
Asada
Takashi
T
Yamashita
Fumio
F
Kitamura
Noriko
N
Matsuda
Hiroshi
H
Hirai
Shigeo
S
Yamada
Tatsuo
T
D000368:Aged; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003704:Dementia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon