Neuroanatomical correlates of unawareness of memory deficits in early Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate neuroanatomical substrates of unawareness of memory deficits in patients with early Alzheimer's disease (AD).


METHODS
We compared regional perfusion deficits between AD patients with awareness (n = 19) and unawareness (n = 19). SPECT data were analyzed by statistical brain imaging method.


RESULTS
Statistical maps demonstrated a more extensive and severe reduction in perfusion in the unaware group than in the aware group. Quantitative analysis demonstrated a significant difference between the groups in the right subcallosal, anterior cingulate and cingulate gyri and left orbital, subcallosal, and anterior cingulate gyri.


CONCLUSIONS
Functional damage to the inferior, medial and orbital frontal lobes as well as the anterior cingulate gyri may be associated with the lack of awareness in patients with early AD.
Hanyu
Haruo
H
Department of Geriatric Medicine, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan. h-hanyu@tokyo-med.ac.jp
Sato
Tomohiko
T
Akai
Tomotaka
T
Shimizu
Soichiro
S
Hirao
Kentaro
K
Kanetaka
Hidekazu
H
Iwamoto
Toshihiko
T
Koizumi
Kiyoshi
K
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon