Positron emission tomography and computed tomography assessments of the aging human brain.

Publication Type	Academic Article
Authors	de Leon M, George A, Ferris S, Christman D, Fowler J, Gentes C, Brodie J, Reisberg B, Wolf A
Journal	J Comput Assist Tomogr
Volume	8
Issue	1
Pagination	88-94
Date Published	02/01/1984
ISSN	0363-8715
Keywords	Aging, Brain, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Abstract	The relationship between alterations in brain structure and brain function was studied in vivo in both young and elderly human subjects. Computed tomography revealed significant age-related ventricular and cortical sulcal dilatation. The cortical changes were most closely related to age. Positron emission tomography failed to show regional changes in brain glucose metabolic rate. The results suggest that the normal aging brain undergoes structural atrophic changes without incurring regional metabolic changes. Examination of the correlations between the structural and the metabolic measures revealed no significant relationships. These data are discussed with respect to the significant structure-function relationships that have been reported in Alzheimer disease.
DOI	10.1097/00004728-198402000-00017
PubMed ID	6606657