Comparative study of cerebral blood flow in patients with normal-tension glaucoma and control subjects.

PURPOSE

To evaluate regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in normal-tension glaucoma patients (NTGs) compared with normal volunteers (controls) in a pilot study.

DESIGN

Observational cohort study.

METHODS

The Iodine-123-IMP single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans were acquired in 31 NTGs and 18 age-matched controls. The SPECT images in NTGs were classified and the quantitative rCBF data were compared with controls.

RESULTS

Seven of 31 NTGs (22.6%) exhibited an Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like perfusion pattern although none of them were clinically diagnosed with AD. The visual field defect of NTGs with an AD-like pattern progressed more rapidly than NTGs with a normal pattern (P=.132). The rCBF in left parietal regions of NTGs with senile sclerotic or focal ischemic disk was significantly lower than controls (P<.05).

CONCLUSIONS

A number of NTGs exhibited an AD-like perfusion pattern, suggesting that some of NTGs and AD patients might have a common pathologic mechanism.