title: Characterizing the normative profile of 18F-FDG PET brain imaging: sex difference, aging effect, and cognitive reserve.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate findings of positron emission tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG PET) in normal subjects to clarify the effects of sex differences, aging, and cognitive reserve on cerebral glucose metabolism. Participants comprised 123 normal adults who underwent 18F-FDG PET and a neuropsychological battery. We used statistical parametric mapping (SPM8) to investigate sex differences, and aging effects. The effects of cognitive reserve on 18F-FDG uptake were investigated using years of education as a proxy. Finally, we studied the effect of cognitive reserve on the recruitment of glucose metabolism in a memory task by dichotomizing the data according to educational level. Our results showed that the overall cerebral glucose metabolism in females was higher than that in males, whereas male participants had higher glucose metabolism in the bilateral inferior temporal gyri and cerebellum than females. Age-related hypometabolism was found in anterior regions, including the anterior cingulate gyrus. These areas are part of the attentional system, which may decline with aging even in healthy elderly individuals. Highly educated subjects revealed focal hypermetabolism in the right hemisphere and lower recruitment of glucose metabolism in memory tasks. This phenomenon is likely a candidate for a neural substrate of cognitive reserve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1, Kawadacho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan. Electronic address: hyoshizaw@nij.twmu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshizawa
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and Taub Institute, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Yunglin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gazes
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and Taub Institute, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Yaakov
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1, Kawadacho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D058245:Cognitive Reserve; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose
keywords: (18)F-Fluorodeoxyglucose; Aging; Cognitive brain reserve; Gender differences; Normal brain; Positron emission tomography