| International Journal of Nuclear Medicine Research (Volume 1 Issue 1) | |
| Cortico-Subcortical Metabolic Changes in Aging Brain: A 18F FDG PET/CT Study |  |
| Pages 17-23 Agostino Chiaravalloti, Paolo Abbatiello, Ferdinando Calabria, Barbara Palumbo, Alessandro Martoranaand Orazio Schillaci DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15379/2408-9788.2014.01.01.4Published: 12 August 2014 |
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| Abstract | |
| Aim: to investigate the effects of aging on brain glucose consumption on a population of healthy subjects. Materials and methods: 102 chemotherapy-naïve subjects (56 men, 46 women; mean age 57±16 years old; age range 20-89 years) undergoing a whole body 18F FDG PET/CT and found to be completely negative for various diseases in both PET/CT and contrast enhanced CT (performed contextually to PET/CT scan) were enrolled in the study. Age-related changes in brain 18F-FDG uptake were analysed by statistical parametric mapping (SPM8). Results: aging is related to a reduction of brain glucose consumption in right medial frontal gyrus (BA9) and anterior cingulate cortex (BA32) and to an increased 18F-FDG uptake in right sub-cortical structures (lentiform nucleus, claustrum) and in cerebellum bilaterally. Conclusions: The results of our study suggest that a reduced functioning of ACC and medial PFC occur in the elderly. An increased activation of the cerebellum, lentiform nucleus and claustrummay represent a compensatory mechanism, possibly involved in cognitive decline. |
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| Keywords | |
| Aging brain, Claustrum, Cingulate cortex, Prefrontal cortex, Cerebellum, PET/CT. | |
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