Age-Related Glucose Metabolism in FDG-PET Brain Studies

Abstract

In recent years, functional brain imaging modalities have been used as key tools for studying brain regional and global processes in healthy adults, as well as the pathophysiology and course of neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Positron emission tomography with Fluoro-deoxy glucose (FDG-PET) is widely used to measure regional cerebral glucose metabolic patterns. This review study focused on FDG PET findings in normal brain aging process, specifically on glucose metabolism in particular regions of brain. Based on our study, age-related reduction in glucose metabolism was significant in frontal, temporal and caudate part of basal ganglia, while the lowest changes found mostly in cerebellum, occipital and parietal regions. On the other hand, there was an increase in the glucose uptake by age in thalamic regions.