Differences in lateral hemispheric asymmetries of cerebral blood flow measured by SPECT in dementia of Alzheimer type

We studied 21 right-handed patients clinically diagnosed as dementia of Alzheimer type (8 men, 13 women; aged 53-85, mean 71.1 years). The average duration of symptoms was 2.7 years. Dementia ranged from mild to moderately severe. None had clinical or laboratory evidence of cerebro-vascular disease (Hachinski ischemic scores for all patients were 4 or below). All received the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), Mini-mental State Test (MMS) and Western Aphasia Battery (WAB, First Japanese edition, 1986). Regional cerebral blood flow was evaluated by single photon emission CT (SPECT) with 123I-N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP), using the Matsuda's quantitative method. The subjects were divided into three groups on the basis of right-left hemispheric asymmetry of cerebral blood flow (left<right, n=6; right<left, n=3; left=right, n=12). General scores (MMS, T-IQ) were not correlated with asymmetry of cerebral blood flow. Verbal IQ in patients with predominant hypoperfusion of left temporal and parietal lobe were significantly lower than in other groups, while performance IQ and WAB constructive scores were lower in those with right hemispheric hypoperfusion (p<0.05). We concluded that cerebral blood flow asymmetry detected by SPECT was related significantly to the deficit of language and constructive function in patients with dementia of Alzheimer type. (author)