Patterns of single photon emission tomography (SPECT) among patients with dementia in the memory clinic at Siriraj Hospital.
OBJECTIVE
The authors hypothesized that there is a pattern difference in cerebralperfusion of the 99-Technitium L, L-ethyl cysteinate dimer Single Photon Emission Computer Tomography (99-Tc ECD SPECT) between mild and moderate to severe dementia.


METHODS
The authors reported a retrospective study in the Memory Clinic, Siriraj Hospital between January 2001 and October 2003 including only patients with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and mixed dementia. Clinical dementia rating (CDR) was used to document dementia severity. Patterns of hypoperfusion were classified into no definite hypoperfusion, regional hypoperfusion, and diffused hypoperfusion.


RESULTS
One hundred and seven patients were included in the present study. Only mean Thai Mental State Examination (TMSE) score was different between the two groups. There was no significant correlation between pattern of hypoperfusion in brain SPECT and severity of dementia.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors cannot demonstrate the pattern of hypoperfusion of 99-Tc ECD SPECT among patients' difference in dementia severity.
Nako
Arpas
A
Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Siritho
Sasitorn
S
Chotinaiwattarakul
Wattanachai
W
Ratanamart
Vacharin
V
Udompunthuruk
Suthipol
S
Jamjumrus
Piyanuj
P
Senanarong
Vorapun
V
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013785:Thailand; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C059659:technetium Tc 99m bicisate; D003545:Cysteine