title: Metabolic correlates of Rey auditory verbal learning test in elderly subjects with memory complaints.
abstract: We evaluated the brain metabolic correlates of main indexes of a widely used word list learning test, the Rey Auditory Verbal Memory Test (RAVLT), in a group of elderly subjects with memory complaints. Fifty-four subjects (age: 72.02 ± 7.45; Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score: 28.9 ± 1.24) presenting at a memory clinic complaining of memory deficit, but not demented, and thirty controls (age: 71.87 ± 7.08; MMSE score: 29.1 ± 1.1) were included. Subjects with memory complaints included both patients with (amnestic mild cognitive impairment, aMCI) and without (subjective memory complaints, SMC) impairment on memory tests. All subjects underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), analyzed with statistical parametric. Patients with aMCI but not those with SMC showed the expected posterior cingulate-precuneus and parietal hypometabolism as compared to controls. Correlation was determined for between four indexes of the RAVLT and brain metabolism. The results show a significant correlation between the delayed recall score and metabolism in posterior cingulate gyrus of both hemispheres and in left precuneus, as well as between a score of long-term percent retention and metabolism in left posterior cingulate gyrus, precuneus, and orbitofrontal areas. These correlations survived correction for age, education, and MMSE score. No correlation was found between immediate or total recall scores and glucose metabolism. These data show the relevant role of posterior cingulate-precuneus and orbitofrontal cortices in retention and retrieval of de-contextualized verbal memory material in a group of elderly subjects with memory complaints and shed light on the topography of synaptic dysfunction in these subjects, overlapping that found in the earliest stages of Alzheimer-type neurodegeneration.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurology, Dept of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brugnolo
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morbelli
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurology, Dept of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arnaldi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Carli
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurology, Dept of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Accardo
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bossert
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurology, Dept of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dessi
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurology, Dept of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Famà
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurology, Dept of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurology, Dept of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Italy Nuclear Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Genoa, Italy Clinical Psychology, San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Girtler
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurology, Dept of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Agnese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picco
authors.affiliation: University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianmario
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sambuceti
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurology, Dept of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nobili
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose
keywords: Brain FDG-PET; Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test; memory; mild cognitive impairment