Typical cerebral metabolic patterns in various types of dementia: an SPM analysis of 18F-FDG PET images

Abstract

Objective To delineate the cerebral metabolic patterns presented in ¹⁸F-FDG PET images in various types of dementia with SPM analysis.  Methods Patients who underwent ¹⁸F-FDG PET scanning with a retrospectively confirmed diagnosis according to strictly defined clinical research criteria were studied. Clinical follow-up enabled appropriate patient inclusion. A total of 62 patients were included, of which 20 patients were diagnosed as Alzheimer's disease (AD), 20 frontotemporal dementia (FTD), 10 dementia with Lewy body (DLB), 7 progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), 3 primary progressive aphasia (PPA), 1 corticobasal ganglionic degeneration (CBD), 1 multiple system atrophy (MSA). ¹⁸F-FDG PET images of each group were analyzed and compared to 20 healthy controls using SPM5. Results Disease-specific patterns of relatively decreased metabolic activity were found in AD (bilateral parietotemporal regions and frontal regions sparing sensorimotor cortex), FTD (asymmetric frontotemporal regions), DLB (occipital lobe, visual cortex and bilateral superior temporal gyrus), PSP (bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterolateral temporal regions, caudate nucleus and mesencephalon), PPA (Broca's area in left frontal lobe, left temporal cortex excepting posterior superior temporal gyrus, CBD (asymmetricly involved cortical regions, prodominately on right side, around bilateral central sulcus and right basal ganglia), MSA (bilateral cerebellum dorsolateral cortex and left putamen), and right medial temporal cortex).  Conclusions Specific dementia related cerebral metabolic patterns in ¹⁸F-FDG PET might assist in early differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.

doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2014.04.008