Brain [¹⁸F]FDDNP Binding and Glucose Metabolism in Advanced Elderly Healthy Subjects and Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Tauber, Clovis^a | Beaufils, Emilie^{a; b} | Hommet, Caroline^{a; b} | Ribeiro, Maria Joao^{a; b} | Vercouillie, Johnny^a | Vierron, Emilie^{a; d} | Mondon, Karl^{a; b} | Cottier, Jean Philippe^{a; b} | Gissot, Valérie^{b; c} | Guilloteau, Denis^{a; b; d} | Camus, Vincent^{a; b; *}

Affiliations: [a] Université François Rabelais de Tours & INSERM U930, Tours, France | [b] CHRU de Tours, Tours, France | [c] CIC INSERM 0202, Tours, France | [d] CIC-IT INSERM 0806, Tours, France

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Vincent Camus, MD, PhD, CMRR & Clinique Psychiatrique Universitaire, CHRU de Tours, Boulevard Tonnelé, F-37044 TOURS Cedex 01, France. Tel.: +33 2 47 47 91 30; Fax: +33 2 47 84 02; E-mail: vincent.camus@univ-tours.fr.

Abstract: Background:Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of brain amyloid (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) load is a candidate biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Objectives:To compare brain Aβ and NFT load and glucose metabolism in advanced elderly (70 years and older) patients with AD and healthy controls (HCs) by PET with [18F]FDDNP and [18F]FDG. Methods:Seven AD patients (mean ± SD age 79.3 ± 3.6 y, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score 22.1 ± 2.5) and eight HCs (mean age ± SD, 75.7 ± 3.9 y; MMSE score 29.0 ± 1.2) underwent PET with [18F]FDDNP and [18F]FDG. Results:Global [18F]FDDNP uptake was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in AD patients (1.15 ± 0.04) than in HCs (1.10 ± 0.06), while global brain metabolism was lower in AD patients than in HCs (AD patients 0.96 ± 0.09; HCs 1.13 ± 0.11; p < 0.05). In HCs, brain glucose metabolism was correlated with age for both the global [18F]FDG SUVr and in the parietal and posterior cingulate regions, while no correlation was found between age and [18F]FDDNP uptake. In AD patients, global [18F]FDDNP uptake and uptake in the frontal and anterior cingulate regions of interest were correlated with MMSE score, while no correlation was observed with brain glucose metabolism. Conclusion:Imaging Aβ load and NFT with [18F]FDDNP can distinguish AD patients from HCs in an advanced elderly population. It seems to be less sensitive than [18F]FDG to the brain changes observed with normal aging, but more sensitive to cognitive decline in advanced elderly AD patients.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, amyloid, diagnostic, imaging, PET scan

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-122068

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 311-320, 2013