A SPECT study of sleep disturbance and Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the possible association of regional cerebral perfusion and sleep loss in Alzheimer's disease (AD).


METHODS
55 AD patients were characterized as having (SL) or not having (NSL) nocturnal sleep loss based on standard AD scales assessing sleep over the previous 4 weeks. (99m)Tc-ethylcysteinate dimer SPECT scans were performed in a relaxed, wakeful state. Whole-brain analysis using Statistical Parametrical Mapping (SPM5) was performed to compare perfusion across groups. In addition, the AD groups were compared to normal control (NC) subjects of comparable age and gender to provide a context for interpretation of findings.


RESULTS
SPM analysis showed increased perfusion in the right middle frontal gyrus (R-MFG, Brodman area 9, p = 0.016, familywise-error-corrected) in SL versus NSL patients. Comparison with NC subjects confirmed that perfusion in the R-MFG among SL patients did not exceed that found in NCs (relative rather than absolute hyperperfusion).


CONCLUSIONS
In this sample of mild-to-moderate AD patients, relative hyperperfusion in the R-MFG is associated with reports of SL. This region may play a role in regulating sleep.
Ismail
Z
Z
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Herrmann
N
N
Francis
P L
PL
Rothenburg
L S
LS
Lobaugh
N J
NJ
Leibovitch
F S
FS
Black
S E
SE
Lanctôt
K L
KL
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017286:Polysomnography; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon