Relationship between neuroimaging and cognition in frontotemporal dementia: An FDG-PET and structural MRI study

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a clinically and pathologically heterogeneous neurodegenerative condition with a prevalence comparable to Alzheimer's disease for patients under 65 years of age. Limited studies have examined the association between cognition and neuroimaging in FTD using different imaging modalities. Methods: We examined the association of cognition using Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) with both gray matter (GM) volume and glucose metabolism using magnetic resonance imaging and fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET in 21 patients diagnosed with FTD. Standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) using the brainstem as a reference region was the primary outcome measure for FDG-PET. Partial volume correction was applied to PET data to account for disease-related atrophy. Results: Significant positive associations were found between whole-cortex GM volume and MoCA scores (r = 0.46, p =.04). The association between whole-cortex FDG SUVR and MoCA scores was not significant (r = 0.37, p =.09). GM volumes of the frontal cortex (r = 0.54, p =.01), caudate (r = 0.62, p