Positron emission tomographic scan investigations of Huntington's disease: cerebral metabolic correlates of cognitive function

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Ann. Neurol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.410230603· OSTI ID:6804119

Berent, S; Giordani, B; Lehtinen, S; Markel, D; Penney, J B; Buchtel, H A; Starosta-Rubinstein, S; Hichwa, R; Young, A B

Fifteen drug-free patients with early to mid-stage Huntington's disease (HD) were evaluated with positron emission tomographic (PET) scans of /sup 18/F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake and quantitative measures of neurological function, learning, memory, and general intelligence. In comparison with a group of normal volunteers, the HD patients showed lower metabolism in both caudate (p less than 0.001) and putamen (p less than 0.001) on PET scans. A significant and positive relationship was found between neuropsychological measures of verbal learning and memory and caudate metabolism in the patient group but not in the normal group. Visual-spatial learning did not reflect a similar pattern, but performance intelligence quotient was positively related to both caudate and putamen metabolism in the HD group. Vocabulary level was unrelated to either brain structure. Discussion focuses on these and other observed brain-behavior relationships and on the implications of these findings for general behaviors such as those involved in coping and adaptation.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6804119
• Journal Information: Ann. Neurol.; (United States), Vol. 23:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BRAIN
POSITRON COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
GLUCOSE
METABOLISM
NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES
DIAGNOSIS
FLUORINE 18
LEARNING
PATIENTS
ALDEHYDES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CARBOHYDRATES
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
FLUORINE ISOTOPES
HEXOSES
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MONOSACCHARIDES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
RADIOISOTOPES
SACCHARIDES
TOMOGRAPHY
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