Comparison between Early-Onset and Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease Patients with Amnestic Presentation: CSF and 18F-FDG PET Study

Background/Aims: To investigate the differences in brain glucose consumption between patients with early onset of Alzheimer's disease (EOAD, aged ≤65 years) and patients with late onset of Alzheimer's disease (LOAD, aged >65 years). Methods: Differences in brain glucose consumption between the groups have been evaluated by means of Statistical Parametric Mapping version 8, with the use of age, sex, Mini-Mental State Examination and cerebrospinal fluid values of Aβ_1-42, phosphorylated Tau and total Tau as covariates in the comparison between EOAD and LOAD. Results: As compared to LOAD, EOAD patients showed a significant decrease in glucose consumption in a wide portion of the left parietal lobe (BA7, BA31 and BA40). No significant differences were obtained when subtracting the EOAD from the LOAD group. Conclusions: The results of our study show that patients with EOAD show a different metabolic pattern as compared to those with LOAD that mainly involves the left parietal lobe.