GLUCOSE AND MEMORY IN MILD SENILE DEMENTIA OF THE ALZHEIMER TYPE

Glucose utilization appears to play a role in memory, and patients wit h Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (SDAT) show particular abnorma lities of the glucose system. The present study examined the effects o f glucose administration on memory in subjects with mild SDAT and age- matched controls. SDAT subjects demonstrated greater overall increase s in blood glucose levels following glucose administration. Normal sub jects whose blood glucose levels returned to near baseline following g lucose administration showed facilitated memory performance, whereas S DAT subjects whose blood glucose levels remained elevated showed signi ficant improvement following glucose administration. The results sugge st that impaired glucose regulation contributes to memory impairment i n SDAT.