Christine Born MD, PRESENTER: Nothing to Disclose

Abstract: HTML Purpose: To evaluate cortical activation patterns using a location-matching task in patients with early Alzheimer disease (AD) in comparison to healthy elderly subjects (HES). Methods and Materials: We performed a location-matching task including 6 HES (f:m =5:1, mean-age=71y, minimental score:29) and 6 patients (f:m= 4:2; mean-age=68y, minimental Score:26) with early AD. Stimuli were presented on a video screen inside the magnet. The paradigm consisted of 6 blocks alternating between activation and control condition. Each stimulus was presented for 2.8 sec, interstimulus interval was 0.35 sec.In the location-matching task the subjects had to press a button when two objects had the same spatial position within two different rectangles on the screen. For control we used a perception-task and instructed the subjects to press the button when a nonsense scrambled image appeared on the screen. Functional imaging was performed on a 1.5 T scanner using EPI sequence (TR:0.6 msec; TE:60 msec; pixel-size: 3.2 x 3.2 mm; SL: 4 mm; 28 axial slices). Each paradigm included 69 frames with an interval of 3.6 sec. Statistical analyzis was performed with FSL. Results: With the location-matching task the HES presented bilateral (re > li) activations in the superior parietal lobe and the right inferior and middle frontal gyrus. Less activation was detected bilaterally in the occipital lobe, in the right middle temporal gyrus and the anterior cingulum. In patients with early AD we found more extensive activated areas in the inferior and middle frontal gyrus and in addition bilaterally in the middle temporal gyrus, both bilateral in contrast to the HES. Conclusion: In a location-matching task patients with early AD showed bilateral activation in the inferior and middle frontal gyrus and the middle temporal gyrus in contrast to HES, who presented predominantly right hemispheric activations.       Questions about this event email: christine.born@ikra.med.uni-muenchen.de

Born MD, C, Human Brain Activity in Patients with Early Alzheimer Disease in a Location-matching Task: An FMRI Study.  Radiological Society of North America 2003 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 30 - December 5, 2003 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2003/3103634.html