Comparison of brain perfusion in corticobasal degeneration and Alzheimer'sdisease

To compare brain perfusion between corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and Alzh eimer's disease (AD), we measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) semiq uantitatively with single-photon emission computed tomography in 10 patient s with CBD and 16 with AD. There was no significant difference in age or il lness duration between the patients with CBD and AD. Mini-Mental State Exam ination scores were significantly lower in the AD patients than in the CBD patients. All CBD patients showed asymmetric akinetic-rigid syndrome and li mb apraxia. Four CBD patients were demented, and 1 AD patient had parkinson ism. Compared with 12 age-matched control subjects, the average of the left and right rCBF values for the CBD patients was significantly reduced in th e prefrontal, anterior cingulate (AC), medial premotor, sensorimotor (SM), posterior parietal (PP) and superior temporal (ST) cortices as well as in t he basal ganglia (BG) and thalamus (Th), while the prefrontal, PP and ST co rtices were significantly hypoperfused in the AD patients. In the CBD patie nts, rCBF was significantly less in the AC and SM cortices, and in the Th a nd BG, and significantly greater in the PP cortex than in the AD patients. Interhemispheric differences of rCBF in the inferior prefrontal and SM cort ices were significantly greater in the CBD patients than the AD patients. I t is concluded that rCBF comparison may aid in differentiating CBD from AD. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.