Cerebral glucose metabolism in preclinical and prodromal Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

Assessment of regional cerebral glucose metabolism by ¹⁸F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-PET at resting state is a standard functional technique to assess cerebral function. Group studies identified significant regional metabolic impairment in asymptomatic individuals at increased risk for dementia. Substantial impairment of FDG uptake in temporoparietal association cortices emerges as a reliable predictor of rapid progression to dementia in mild cognitive impairment patients and could, therefore, serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis of prodromal Alzheimer’s disease. Frontal and temporoparietal metabolic impairment is closely related to progression of disease in longitudinal studies, and multicenter studies suggest its utility as an outcome parameter to increase the efficiency of therapeutic trials.

Keywords::

• ¹⁸F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose
• Alzheimer’s disease
• clinical trial
• early diagnosis
• mild cognitive impairment biomarkers
• positron emission tomography

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.