RENDIMIENTOS NEUROPSICOLÓGICOS Y GRADO DE PERFUSIÓN CEREBRAL POR SPECT EN LA DEMENCIA TIPO ALZHEIMER

Abstract

Neuropsycological Performance and Level of Brain perfusion with SPECT in dementia of the Alzheimer type. The aim of the paper is to study the relation between the performances obtained in several neuropsycological tasks and the level of brain perfusion with Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). The sample consisted of 54 subjects of both sexes, who had been diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) following the criteria of the Neuroepidemiology Branch of the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association. The neuropsycological tests used in this study assess the following cognitive functions: language, verbal memory, constructivevisuospatial skills, visual memory, praxias, and digital gnosias. The brain SPECT images were made using the gammacamera by Elscint, model 409-AG. The Radiopharmaceutical used was Hexamethyl-Propylene-Amine-Oxime. The results show that there is a significant inverse correlation between the performances obtained in the neuropsycological tests and the level of brain perfusion with SPECT, except for the verbal material (list of words) recall tests and buccofacial praxias.