Brain metabolism and memory in age differentiated healthy adults
The (F-18)-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) scan method with positron emission tomography was used to determine age differences in factors underlying both the performances on 18 multivariate memory tests and the rates of cerebral glucose utilization in 9 left and 9 right hemispheric regions of 23 healthy adults in the age range of 27-78 years. Young persons below age 42 had higher scores than middle-aged (age 48-65 yrs) or old (age 66-78 yrs) persons on two of seven factors, reflecting memory for sequences of words or events together with metabolic indices of Broca's (and its mirror region) and Thalamic areas. Reliable correlations (critical r = 0.48, p<0.02) indicated that persons with high Superior Frontal and low Caudate-Thalamic metabolic measures were the same who performed well in tests of memory for sentences, story, designs, and complex patterns; while metabolic indices of Occipital and Posterior Temporal regions were correlated with the decision criteria adopted in testing. The mean metabolic ratio (b = -0.033, F = 5.47, p<0.03) and those of bilateral Broca's regions (b = -0.002, F = 13.65, p<0.001) significantly declined with age. The functional interrelation of frontal-subcortical metabolic ratios with memory processing was more prominent in younger persons under study and implicates decreasing thalamo-frontal interaction with age.
- Research Organization:
- Sepulveda VA Medical Center and UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
- OSTI ID:
- 6930486
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-840619-
- Journal Information:
- J. Nucl. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Nucl. Med.; (United States) Vol. 25:5; ISSN JNMEA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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550602* -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Diagnostics-- (1980-)
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ADULTS
AGE DEPENDENCE
AGE GROUPS
ALDEHYDES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
BRAIN
CARBOHYDRATES
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CEREBRAL CORTEX
CEREBRUM
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
DECISION MAKING
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DIAGNOSTIC USES
EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
FLUORINE 18
FLUORINE ISOTOPES
GLUCOSE
HEXOSES
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LABELLING
LIGHT NUCLEI
MATHEMATICS
METABOLISM
MONOSACCHARIDES
MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
POSITRON COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
RADIOISOTOPES
SACCHARIDES
STATISTICS
TESTING
THALAMUS
TOMOGRAPHY
USES