One-year change in cerebral glucose metabolism in patients with Alzheimer's disease

By using [(18)F]-2-fluoro-deoxy-d-glucose and positron emission tomography, the authors studied changes in regional glucose metabolism after a 1-year interval in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). Glucose metabolism declined over time in the bilateral precuneus and posterior cingulate gyri and in the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices. Glucose metabolism in these regions may be a useful measure of the progression of AD and a valid surrogate outcome measure of clinical drug trials.