title: Insular hypoperfusion correlates with the severity of delusions in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to identify the brain regions associated with the severity of delusions in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) using single-photon emission computed tomography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five AD patients participated in this study. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify a linear correlation between the delusion subscale score of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in AD patients with delusions (n = 14). In addition, rCBF in patients with (n = 14) and without delusions (n = 21) was compared using a 2-sample t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The delusion subscale score of the NPI was negatively correlated with rCBF in the right anterior insula (uncorrected p < 0.01 at the voxel level and corrected p < 0.05 at the cluster level). Compared to patients without delusions, however, rCBF in the right anterior insula was not significantly decreased in patients with delusions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that right anterior insular dysfunction may exacerbate delusions, although it is not responsible for the onset of delusions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. tmms2004 @ koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
authors.forename: Teruyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Narumoto
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: Kaeko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Chio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Okuyama
authors.forename: Tsunehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukui
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003702:Delusions / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon