BACKGROUND: Beta amyloid (Aβ) causes synaptic dysfunction leading to neuronal death. It is still controversial if the magnitude of Aβ deposition correlates with the degree of cognitive impairment. Diagnostic imaging may lead to a better understanding the role of Aβ in development of cognitive deficits. The aim of the present study was to investigate if Aβ deposition in the corresponding brain region of early stage Alzheimer´s disease (AD) patients, directly correlates to neuronal dysfunction and cognitive impairment indicated by reduced glucose metabolism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 30 patients with a clinical phenotype of AD and amyloid positive brain imaging, 2-[18F] fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) PET/CT was performed. We extracted the average [18F] flutemetamol (Vizamyl) uptake for each of the 16 regions of interest in both hemispheres and computed the standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) by dividing the Vimazyl intensities by the mean signal of positive and negative control regions. Data were analysed using the R environment for statistical computing and graphics. RESULTS: Any negative correlation between Aβ deposition and glucose metabolism in 32 dementia related and corresponding brain regions in AD patients was not found. None of the correlation coefficient values were statistically significant different from zero based on two-sided p- value. CONCLUSIONS: Regional Aβ deposition did not correlate negatively with local glucose metabolism in early stage AD patients. Our findings support the role of Aβ as a valid biomarker, but does not permit to conclude that Aβ is a direct cause for an aberrant brain glucose metabolism and neuronal dysfunction.

Department of Gerontology Kepler University Hospital Neuromed Campus Linz Austria

Department of Neurology Klinikum Wels Grieskirchen Wels Austria

Department of Nuclear Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Palacky University Olomouc Olomouc Czech Republic

Department of Radiology Clinic of Nuclear Medicine Medical University Graz Graz Austria

Institute for Applied Statistics Johannes Kepler University Linz Austria

Institute for Statistics and Mathematics WU University of Economics and Business Vienna Austria

Institute of Nuclear Medicine Kepler University Hospital Neuromed Campus Linz Austria

Institute of Nuclear Medicine Steyr Hospital Steyr Austria

Nuclear Medicine Research Department IASON Graz Austria

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