Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 186, Issue 1, 15 February 1995, Pages 17-20
Neuroscience Letters

Deficits in cerebral glucose metabolism demonstrated by positron emission tomography in individuals at risk of familial Alzheimer's disease

https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(95)11270-7Get rights and content

Abstract

In order to establish whether positron emission tomography (PET) can identify metabolic changes in Alzheimer's disease at a presymptomatic stage, we have examined 24 asymptomatic at risk individuals from families with Alzheimer's disease. A significant reduction in global cerebral metabolic rate for glucose was found when compared with 16 age-matched controls. There was also a focal, parieto-temporal deficit similar to, although less extensive than, that found in 18 symptomatic individuals from familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) pedigrees. Follow up of this cohort will establish whether these metabolic changes relate to a presymptomatic stage of the disease.

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This study was funded by an MRC project grant. The Dementia Research group also acknowledges the support of the David and Frederick Barclay Foundation, the Kirkwood Memorial Trust, Wellington Trust, Wolfson Foundation and Research into Ageing. The assistance of all members of the families, their caregivers, attendant physicians and general practitioners is gratefully acknowledged.

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