REGIONAL CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW STUDY WITH TC-99M-HEXAMETHYL-PROPYLENEAMINE OXIME SINGLE PHOTON-EMISSION COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY IN ALZHEIMERS AND MULTIINFARCT DEMENTIA

Thirty-four demented patients, 19 with Alzheimer’s and 15 with multi-infarct dementia, were studied using single photon emission computed tomography, and "Tc-hexamethyl-propylcnemine oxime as a tracer of regional cerebral perfusion. Tracer activity ratios, determined in conical and subcorneal regions, were compared with those of 11 age-matched controls. In both groups of demented patients, most of the conical regions showed significant declines in tracer uptake from control values, with the greatest reductions in the parietal conex. Significantly lower parietal indexes were found in the Alzheimer’s patient group as compared both to the control values and to the group of multi-infarct dementia patients. A positive correlation was found between the magnitude of the parietal deficits and the severity of dementia. © 1990 S. Karger AG, Basel.