Konstantinopoulou Eleni, Aretouli Eleni, Sioka Chrissa, Douli Eleni, Petrikis Petros, Iakovou Ioannis, Ioannidis Panagiotis
School of Psychology and 2nd Department of Neurology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloníki, Greece.
Psychology Department, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Acta Neurol Belg. 2024 Dec;124(6):1973-1980. doi: 10.1007/s13760-024-02584-z. Epub 2024 Oct 25.
Findings from functional neuroimaging techniques, such as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), may add useful evidence improving Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) diagnosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate patterns of hypoperfusion in a group of patients diagnosed with the behavioral variant of FTD (bvFTD) and to explore the relationship between brain perfusion and clinical characteristics.
Brain perfusion of 23 bvFTD patients was measured with SPECT scintigraphy in lobes and Brodmann areas (BAs) and the NeurogamTM software was used for image analysis. To assess behavioral disturbances and dementia severity, patients' informants completed the Frontotempotal Behavioral Inventory and the Frontotemporal Dementia Rating Scale. Descriptive statistics were used for the detection of pathological hypoperfusion in lobes and selected BAs. Associations among patients' clinical characteristics and perfusion in lobes were explored via non-parametric correlations.
Participants presented pathological hypoperfusion in frontal, limbic and temporal lobes. The most prominent deficit was observed in limbic lobes, where all participants showed pathological hypoperfusion. Decreased perfusion was also observed in limbic, frontal and temporal BAs. Perfusion in the left and right frontal lobe was associated with behavioral disturbances and disease severity, which was also correlated with perfusion in right limbic, left and right temporal areas.
Patterns of limbic, frontal and temporal hypopefusion were reported in the present study, along with associations between brain perfusion, behavioral disturbance and severity of dementia. Perfusion patterns can help to understand further associated brain biomarkers, contributing to early diagnosis and intervention in bvFTD.
功能神经成像技术的研究结果，如单光子发射计算机断层扫描（SPECT），可能会为改善额颞叶痴呆（FTD）的诊断提供有用证据。本研究的目的是调查一组被诊断为行为变异型FTD（bvFTD）患者的灌注不足模式，并探讨脑灌注与临床特征之间的关系。
使用SPECT闪烁扫描法测量23例bvFTD患者脑叶和布罗德曼区（BAs）的脑灌注，并使用NeurogamTM软件进行图像分析。为了评估行为障碍和痴呆严重程度，患者的 informant 完成了额颞叶行为量表和额颞叶痴呆评定量表。描述性统计用于检测脑叶和选定BAs中的病理性灌注不足。通过非参数相关性探讨患者临床特征与脑叶灌注之间的关联。
参与者在额叶、边缘叶和颞叶出现病理性灌注不足。在边缘叶观察到最明显的缺陷，所有参与者在该区域均表现出病理性灌注不足。在边缘叶、额叶和颞叶BAs也观察到灌注减少。左右额叶的灌注与行为障碍和疾病严重程度相关，这也与右侧边缘叶、左侧和右侧颞叶区域的灌注相关。
本研究报告了边缘叶、额叶和颞叶灌注不足的模式，以及脑灌注、行为障碍和痴呆严重程度之间的关联。灌注模式有助于进一步了解相关的脑生物标志物，为bvFTD的早期诊断和干预提供帮助。
