Subcortical dementia: frontal cortex hypometabolism detected by positron tomography in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy

The dementia associated with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is considered to be subcortical because the cerebral cortex, unlike the subcortical structures, is usually free from major neuropathological lesions; the characteristic symptoms point to a dysfunction of the prefrontal lobe. The regio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain (London, England : 1878) England : 1878), 1985-01, Vol.108 (3), p.785-799
Main Authors: D'ANTONA, R, BARON, J. C, SAMSON, Y, SERDARU, M, VIADER, F, AGID, Y, CAMBIER, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Bulbar Palsy, Progressive - complications
Bulbar Palsy, Progressive - diagnostic imaging
Bulbar Palsy, Progressive - metabolism
Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases
Dementia - complications
Dementia - diagnosis
Dementia - metabolism
Female
Frontal Lobe - diagnostic imaging
Frontal Lobe - metabolism
Glucose - metabolism
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Neurology
Tomography, Emission-Computed
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Summary:The dementia associated with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is considered to be subcortical because the cerebral cortex, unlike the subcortical structures, is usually free from major neuropathological lesions; the characteristic symptoms point to a dysfunction of the prefrontal lobe. The regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (rCMR Glu) was studied by positron emission tomography and 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose18FDG in 6 patients presumed to have PSP and was compared with values found in 8 control subjects of similar age. The results obtained showed a highly significant rCMR Glu decrease in the prefrontal cortex of our patients. The loss of several subcortical afferents to prefrontal cortex may be responsible for the frontal cortical hypometabolism present in PSP.
ISSN:0006-8950
1460-2156
DOI:10.1093/brain/108.3.785