Is There an Association Between Glucose Metabolism and a Family History of Alzheimer’s?

Cognitively normal people with a maternal family history of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) show reductions in their cerebral glucose metabolism in the same brain areas as those seen in people who have been diagnosed with AD, according to an National Institute on Aging-funded study by researchers at the New York University School of Medicine. These findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are based on clinical, neuropsychological, and positron emission tomography (PET) examinations of 49 cognitively normal study participants age 50 to 80 who had a parental family history of AD. The researchers suggest that these findings, with further study, may improve understanding of preclinical changes related to AD.

Reference: Mosconi, L. et al. Maternal family history of Alzheimer’s disease predisposes to reduced brain glucose metabolism. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007 Nov 27;104(48):19067-72. Epub 2007 Nov 14.

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Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

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