Positron emission tomography and familial Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study.

Objective: Local cerebral metabolic rates for glucose were compared between patients with familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD), sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (SAD), and normal controls (NC) to determine if FAD is associated with a unique pattern of brain metabolism.
Design: Case-control study matched to convenience sample of FAD.
Methods: Subjects in the three diagnostic groups were scanned using fluorodeoxyglucose and the Positron Emission Tomographic (PET) technique. The criterion standard of a detailed clinical history and examination were compared to scan results.
Setting: Patients in a university hospital.
Subjects: Ambulatory controls and Alzheimer's patients, both sporadic (n = 8) and familial (n = 7). The two groups were similar in severity of cognitive dysfunction.
Results: FAD and SAD patients did not significantly differ in terms of local cerebral metabolic rates for glucose.