Serial positron emission tomography findings in a patient with hydrocephalic dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Yong Jeong; Juhee Chin; Woo Suk Tae; Seung Bong Hong; Sang Eun Kim; Yeon-Lim Suh; Duk L Na

Serial positron emission tomography findings in a patient with hydrocephalic dementia and Alzheimer's disease

J Neuroimaging. 2004 Apr;14(2):170-5.

Authors

Yong Jeong¹, Juhee Chin, Woo Suk Tae, Seung Bong Hong, Sang Eun Kim, Yeon-Lim Suh, Duk L Na

Affiliation

¹ Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 ILwon-dong, Kangnam-ku, Seoul, Korea.

PMID: 15095564

Abstract

Comorbidity of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not uncommon. However, few studies have reported the clinical courses of these patients in depth. A 73-year-old woman was confirmed to have AD by a biopsy performed during a shunt operation for NPH after a head trauma. She was followed for 4 years using serial neuropsychological tests and positron emission tomography (PET). Her clinical symptoms remained improved for 2.5 years and then declined. The 1-year minus the presurgical PET scan highlighted the bilateral frontal area, basal ganglia, and thalamus, which may reflect brain regions associated with the improvement of hydrocephalic dementia. On the other hand, the 1-year minus the 4-year scan highlighted the bilateral temporoparietal area and the posterior cingulate gyrus, which may reflect brain regions associated with the aggravation of AD. This subtraction method may be useful for monitoring the clinical course in patients with NPH and AD.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Aged
Alzheimer Disease / diagnostic imaging*
Alzheimer Disease / pathology
Alzheimer Disease / physiopathology
Basal Ganglia / diagnostic imaging
Basal Ganglia / physiopathology
Biopsy
Brain / diagnostic imaging*
Brain / pathology
Brain / physiopathology
Cerebral Cortex / diagnostic imaging
Cerebral Cortex / pathology
Cerebral Cortex / physiopathology
Dementia / diagnostic imaging*
Dementia / pathology
Dementia / physiopathology
Dominance, Cerebral / physiology
Energy Metabolism / physiology*
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure / diagnostic imaging*
Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure / pathology
Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure / physiopathology
Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure / surgery
Neurologic Examination
Neuropsychological Tests
Postoperative Complications / diagnostic imaging
Postoperative Complications / physiopathology
Subdural Effusion / diagnostic imaging
Subdural Effusion / pathology
Subdural Effusion / physiopathology
Subdural Effusion / surgery
Thalamus / diagnostic imaging
Thalamus / physiopathology
Tomography, Emission-Computed*
Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt