HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kuji, I. Articles by Tonami, N. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kuji, I. Articles by Tonami, N.

Age-Related Changes in the Cerebral Distribution of ^99mTc-ECD from Infancy to Adulthood

Departments of Nuclear Medicine and Pediatrics, School of Medicine, and Department of Radiological Technology, School of Health Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan

Correspondence: For correspondence or reprints contact: Ichiei Kuji, MD, 10 River Rd., Apt. 4P, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044.

ABSTRACT

Although cerebral blood flow in infants differs from that in older individuals, the distribution of ^99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) in infants has not been well studied. This study compared ^99mTc-ECD distribution in infants and children with that in young adults. Methods: ^99mTc-ECD SPECT was performed on 37 patients suspected of having epilepsy, ranging in age from 3 mo to 26 y. The patients were divided into two age-matched groups, a drug-free group (n = 19) and a drug-taking group (n = 18), according to their anticonvulsant medication status at the time of examination. ^99mTc-ECD (100–740 MBq) was injected interictally, and SPECT data were acquired using a triple-head gamma camera. Mean whole-brain counts were obtained from 10 sequential SPECT images. Regions of interest were set bilaterally on five areas of the cerebral cortex and on the basal ganglia, thalamus and cerebellum. The brain perfusion index (BPI) was obtained as a ratio of the mean counts in each region of interest to the mean whole-brain counts. The relationship between BPI and age in each region in the drug-free and drug-taking groups was analyzed separately and together using linear regression. The relationship between five patient age groups (<1 y, n = 4; 1–4 y, n = 9; 5–9y, n = 8; 10–15 y, n = 7; >15y, n = 9) and BPI in each region was also examined using multiple comparison analyses. Results: Significant positive correlations between BPI and age in the frontal cortex and cerebellum were confirmed in the drug-free group. Anticonvulsant drugs did not affect the regression lines of BPI in the frontal cortex and cerebellum. Significant differences in BPI between age groups were seen in the parietal cortex, frontal cortex, occipital cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus and cerebellum in all patients. Conclusion: Age-related changes in cerebral ^99mTc-ECD distribution were confirmed and found to be unaffected by the administration of anticonvulsant drugs. ^99mTc-ECD uptake in children and infants is different from cerebral blood flow glucose metabolism as previously reported, especially in the cerebellum.

Key Words: ^99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer • brain SPECT • pediatrics • brain maturation • cerebral blood flow

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Koyama and A. Yagishita Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration with Increased Lentiform Nuclei Cerebral Blood Flow AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., January 1, 2006; 27(1): 212 - 213. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Aubert-Broche, P. Jannin, A. Biraben, A.-M. Bernard, C. Haegelen, F. P. Le Jeune, and B. Gibaud Evaluation of Methods to Detect Interhemispheric Asymmetry on Cerebral Perfusion SPECT: Application to Epilepsy J. Nucl. Med., April 1, 2005; 46(4): 707 - 713. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]