The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · May 7, 2018

The Relationship of Current Cognitive Activity to Brain Amyloid Burden and Glucose Metabolism

By Lyons CE, Tudorascu D, Snitz BE et al.

Several studies have investigated how lifetime cognitive engagement affects levels of amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition in the brain. However, there has been some disagreement, leaving the relationship of cognitive activity (CA) to Aβ a largely open question. The present study investigated the relationship between CA, Aβ deposition, and glucose metabolism. One hundred nine cognitively normal participants underwent Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB) and [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography and completed a questionnaire designed to measure current CA. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences in PiB retention between those in the high and low CA groups. Linear regression models revealed a significant negative relationship between PiB retention and CA and a significant positive relationship between glucose metabolism and CA. These data suggest that CA may have a direct beneficial effect on the pathophysiology of AD or reflect another underlying process that results in both higher CA and lower AD pathophysiology.

doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2018.03.018PubMed 29885987Populations