PET reveals patterns underlying cognitive decline in patients with DLB

F-18 FDG-PET imaging in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) has shown that brain hypo- and hypermetabolism may have different effects on cognition, according to a study published January 3 in npj Parkinson’s Disease. The study is the first to show that these brain glucose metabolism patterns may independently affect cognitive decline and to clarify potential therapeutic targets in these patients, according to the authors. “The present study suggests that DLB-hypo and DLB-hyper may be independent of each other and differentially affect the baseline and longitudinal cognitive function in patients with DLB,” wrote lead authors Seong Ho Jeong, a PhD candidate at Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, and Jungho Cha, PhD, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. DLB is the second most common neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. Previous F-18 FDG-PET studies have shown that hypometabolism and hypermetabolism are present in different areas of the brain in these patients, the authors explained. However, although the brain areas showing relative hypometabolism and hypermetabolism have been detected concurrently in individuals with DLB, no study has investigated whether the hypo- and hypermetabolic areas are coupled or independent of each other, they noted. Thus, in this study, the group investigated the relationship between these patterns and cognitive function in patients. The researchers enrolled ...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Subspecialties Molecular Imaging Nuclear Radiology Source Type: news