RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the abnormality of cerebrovascular reactivity in patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type by the acetazolamide brain SPECT, which has been used in the assessment of cerebrovascular diseases. METHODS: Eighteen patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type, as diagnosed by the criteria of DSM-IV and NINCDS-ADRDA, and ten normal comparison subjects were recruited. They were rated by Mini-Mental Status Examination, Mattis Ddementia Rating Scale, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Acetazolamide brain SPECT scans of dementia patients and comparison subjects were analyzed by 3-dimensional volume of interest method. RESULTS: The results were as follows. There were significant differences in the values of cerebrovascular reactivity between the two groups. The cerebrovascular reactivity of dementia patients was significantly decreased in the right frontal lobes, and increased in left temporal lobe, compared to comparison subjects(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results imply the possible role of the abnormality of cerebrovascular reactivity in the pathophysiology of dementia of Alzheimer's type.