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Brain perfusion SPECT correlates with CSF biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease

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Abstract

Purpose

Our aim was to study the correlations between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker levels such as β-amyloid 42 (Aβ42), total and phosphorylated tau protein (T-tau and P-tau) and brain perfusion SPECT in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using a voxel-based methodology.

Methods

Patients (n = 31) with clinical features of AD (n = 25) or amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) (n = 6) were retrospectively included. All subjects underwent the same clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging tests. They had a lumbar puncture and a brain perfusion (99mTc-ECD) SPECT within a time interval of 10 (±26) days. Correlations between CSF biomarker concentrations and perfusion were studied using SPM2 software. Individual normalised regional activity values were extracted from the eligible clusters for calculation of correlation coefficients.

Results

No significant correlation was found between Aβ42 concentrations and brain perfusion. A significant correlation (p < 0.01, corrected) was found between T-tau or P-tau concentrations and perfusion in the left parietal cortex.

Conclusion

Our results suggest a strong correlation between T-tau and P-tau levels and decreased brain perfusion in regions typically affected by neuropathological changes in AD.

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Correspondence to Marie-Odile Habert.

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Supplementary Figure 1

Anatomical localisations of peaks of hypoperfusion (p < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons) obtained from comparison between 31 patients (25 AD, 6 aMCI) and 24 age-matched healthy subjects with SPM2. Perfusion was decreased in the bilateral posterior associative cortex, including posterior cingulate regions, and in the left prefrontal dorsolateral cortex. (GIF 25 kb)

High resolution image file (TIFF 879 kb).

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Habert, MO., de Souza, L.C., Lamari, F. et al. Brain perfusion SPECT correlates with CSF biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 37, 589–593 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-009-1285-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-009-1285-8

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