STRIATAL GLUCOSE CONSUMPTION IN CHOREA-FREE SUBJECTS AT RISK OF HUNTINGTONS-DISEASE

Controversial data have been reported with regard to the diagnostic va lue of the positron emission tomographic (PET) measurement of striatal glucose consumption (rCMRGIc) in chorea-free subjects at risk of Hunt ington's disease (HD). For further clarification of this issue we meas ured striatal and cerebellar rCMRGIc in 27 chorea-free subjects at ris k of HD, 20 patients with manifest HD and 20 control subjects, using P ET and F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose. In 6 of the at-risk subjects cerebella r ratios of striatal rCMRGIc were decreased below the corresponding 99 % confidence limit determined in the controls. This indicates that the PET measurement of rCMRGlc may, indeed, be valuable in establishing t he diagnosis of incipient HD in presymptomatic at-risk subjects.