Evaluation of 10-minute post-injection 11C-PiB PET and its correlation with 18F-FDG PET in older adults who are cognitively healthy, mildly impaired, or with probable Alzheimer's disease

Objective: Positron emission tomography (PET) allows in vivo evaluation of molecular targets in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate stage between normal cognition and Alzheimer-type dementia. In vivo fibrillar amyloid-beta can be detected in PET using [11C]-labeled Pittsburgh compound B (11C-PiB). In contrast, [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (18F-FDG) is a neurodegeneration biomarker used to evaluate cerebral glucose metabolism, indicating neuronal injury and synaptic dysfunction. In addition, early cerebral uptake of amyloid-PET tracers can determine regional cerebral blood flow. The present study compared early-phase 11C-PiB and 18F-FDG in older adults without cognitive impairment, amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease. Methods: We selected 90 older adults, clinically classified as healthy controls, with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, or with probable Alzheimer's disease, who underwent an 18F-FDG PET, early-phase 11C-PiB PET and magnetic resonance imaging. All participants were also classified as amyloid-positive or -negative in late-phase 11C-PiB. The data were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping. Results: We found that the probable Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment group had lower early-phase 11C-PiB uptake in limbic structures than 18F-FDG uptake. The images showed significant interactions between amyloid-beta status (negative or positive). However, early-phase 11C-PiB appears to provide different information from 18F-FDG about neurodegeneration. Conclusions: Our study suggests that early-phase 11C-PiB uptake correlates with 18F-FDG, irrespective of the particular amyloid-beta status. In addition, we observed distinct regional distribution patterns between both biomarkers, reinforcing the need for more robust studies to investigate the real clinical value of early-phase amyloid-PET imaging.

Correlation Between Unidentified Bright Objects on Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Cerebral Glucose Metabolism in Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1

PURPOSE: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), which is caused by mutations of the NF1 gene, is the most frequent single gene disorder to affect the nervous system. Unidentified bright objects (UBOs) are commonly observed on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with NF1. However, their clinical and pathologic significance is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between UBOs and cerebral glucose metabolism measured by 18F-2-Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in Korean patients with NF1. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of 75 patients (34 males and 41 females) with NF1 who underwent brain MRI and PET between 2005 and 2011 were evaluated retrospectively. Clinical data including demographics, neurological symptoms, and brain MRI and PET findings, were reviewed. RESULTS: UBOs were detected in the brain MRI scans of 31 patients (41%). The region most frequently affected by UBOs was the basal ganglia. The most frequent brain PET finding was thalamic glucose hypometabolism (45/75, 60%). Of the 31 patients with UBOs, 26 had thalamic glucose hypometabolism on brain PET, but the other 5 had normal brain PET findings. Conversely, of the 45 patients with thalamic glucose hypometabolism on brain PET, 26 showed UBOs on their brain MRI scans, but 19 had normal findings on brain MRI scans. CONCLUSION: UBOs on brain MRI scans and thalamic glucose hypometabolism on PET appear to be 2 distinctive features of NF1 rather than correlated symptoms. Because the clinical significance of these abnormal imaging findings remains unclear, a longitudinal follow-up study of changes in clinical manifestations and imaging findings is necessary.

Correlation Between Unidentified Bright Objects on Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Cerebral Glucose Metabolism in Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1

PURPOSE: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), which is caused by mutations of the NF1 gene, is the most frequent single gene disorder to affect the nervous system. Unidentified bright objects (UBOs) are commonly observed on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with NF1. However, their clinical and pathologic significance is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between UBOs and cerebral glucose metabolism measured by 18F-2-Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in Korean patients with NF1. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of 75 patients (34 males and 41 females) with NF1 who underwent brain MRI and PET between 2005 and 2011 were evaluated retrospectively. Clinical data including demographics, neurological symptoms, and brain MRI and PET findings, were reviewed. RESULTS: UBOs were detected in the brain MRI scans of 31 patients (41%). The region most frequently affected by UBOs was the basal ganglia. The most frequent brain PET finding was thalamic glucose hypometabolism (45/75, 60%). Of the 31 patients with UBOs, 26 had thalamic glucose hypometabolism on brain PET, but the other 5 had normal brain PET findings. Conversely, of the 45 patients with thalamic glucose hypometabolism on brain PET, 26 showed UBOs on their brain MRI scans, but 19 had normal findings on brain MRI scans. CONCLUSION: UBOs on brain MRI scans and thalamic glucose hypometabolism on PET appear to be 2 distinctive features of NF1 rather than correlated symptoms. Because the clinical significance of these abnormal imaging findings remains unclear, a longitudinal follow-up study of changes in clinical manifestations and imaging findings is necessary.

Post-operative Changes of Cerebral Glucose Metabolism in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with Pre-operative Anxiety: Statistical Parametric Mapping Analysis of F-18 FDG Brain PET

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study. PURPOSE: To assess postoperative changes in cerebral glucose metabolism in anxiety patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (SS). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Although an association between preoperative anxiety and abnormal cerebral glucose metabolism may exist, only a limited number of studies using F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) have evaluated preoperative to postoperative changes in cerebral glucose metabolism in SS patients in detail. METHODS: The present study was designed to assess preoperative to postoperative changes in cerebral glucose metabolism in anxiety patients with SS. F-18 FDG PET with statistical parametric mapping analyses was used to compare preoperative and postoperative regional brain glucose metabolism in 18 SS patients. RESULTS: F-18 FDG PET scans showed postoperative activation of several brain clusters in gray matter. These included left parahippocampus, left cerebellar tonsil, left inferior semi-lunar lobule, and right cerebellar tonsil. Areas that were deactivated postoperatively were the right insula, left fusiform gyrus, left orbitofrontal cortex, left inferior frontal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, left precuneus, and left inferior frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: SS patients with preoperative anxiety showed altered cerebral glucose metabolism at postoperative follow-up.

Effects of Electroacupuncture at Head Points on Glucose Metabolism of Cerebral Motor Function Regions in Normal Subjects and Stroke Patients:A Positron Emission Tomography Study / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture on glucose metabolism of the cerebral motor function regions in normal subjects and stroke patients.Methods The glucose metabolism of cerebral motor area in normal subjects and stroke patients before and after acupuncture at Baihui(GV20)and left Qubin(GB7)during the movement were observed with positron emission tomography(PET).Results Acupuncture could increase metabolism of glucose in bilateral superior parietal lobule(LPs)and precuneus,especially in the left among the healthy subjects.For the stroke patients The similar changes of metabolic were observed in the first somastic motor cortical region(MI),premotor cortex(PMC),LPs bilaterally,as well as the supplementary motor area(SMA)of healthy side after acupuncture.Conclusion Acupuncture at Baihui(GV20)and Qubin(GB7)can regulate the glucose metabolism in cerebral structures related to motor function in the bilateral cerebral hemispheres,which may systematically induce excitement of motor nerve,expiate or assist the injured nerve network and expedite the reestablishment of the cerebral motor function.

Comparison Study on Effects of Electroacupuncture on Glucose Metabolism of Cerebral Motor Function Areas / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To compare the effect of electroacupuncture at head points and body points on glucose metabolism of the cerebral motor function regions in normal subjects.Methods To observe the change of glucose metabolism of cerebral motor area in normal subjects between before and after acupuncture during the movement by PET.Talairach coordinates(Atlas of brain) and statistical parametric mapping(SPM) software were used to deal with the acquired imaging data.Results ① Acupuncture at Baihui(GV20) and left Qubin(GB7) could increase metabolism of glucose in bilateral Lps and precuneus,the activation of left area in the brain being more significant.②Acupuncture at right Quchi(LI11) and Zusanli(ST36) change metabolism of glucose in left gyrus precentralis,right loblus paracentralis,right gyrus frontalis medialis,both cerebellums and both putarnens.Conclusion All acupoints can change glucose metabolism in cerebral structures related to motor function in the bilateral cerebral hemispheres,different acupoints active different motor areas.The function of acupuncture is a kind of comprehensive regulative process.

The Predictive Value of FDG-PET for Lateralizing Wada Memory Dominance and Epileptic Focus in Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Backgroud : To examine the predictability of regional cerebral glucose metabolism in determining Wada memory dominance and lateralizing epileptic focus. METHODS: 1 8 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and Wada test were performed in 18 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Regions of interest were determined in mesial, polar, anterior-lateral, mid-lateral, and posterior-lateral regions of the temporal lobe. The asymmetry indices of FDG-PET (PET-AI) were calculated in each ROI of temporal lobe, and those of Wada memory test (Wada-AI) were obtained as well. RESULTS: Pearson correlation coefficient showed Wada-AI was significantly correlated with PET-AI in mesial (r=0.67, p=0.001), polar (r=0.55, p=0.010), anterior-lateral (0.55, p=0.009) and mid-lateral (r=0.51, p=0.016) temporal regions. However, after simple linear regression analysis, PET-AI of mesial temporal region alone was significantly correlated with Wada-AI (p=0.008). In localizing epileptic focus, Wada-AI could correctly lateralize the seizure focus in 90% of the left TLE and 75% of the right TLE patients. No false lateralization by Wada-AI was observed except two patients showing prolonged confusion after amobarbital injection who were not included in this study. The PET-AI of the mesial temporal region showed the highest sensitivity of seizure lateralization (100% of left TLE and 87.5% of right RLE). CONCLUSIONS: Although FDG-PET hypometabolism is observed both at mesial and lateral regions of the temporal lobe in mesial TLE, mesial temporal region appeared to be a dominant and leading area for lateralizing Wada memory dominance and epileptic focus.