Analysis of brain position emission tomography mapping in geriatric depression patients

Objective To investigate brain ~(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG) position emission tomography(PET) mapping in geriatric depression patients.Methods This is a case control study.PET with ~(18)F-FDG was performed in six geriatric depression patients and ten healthy controls.The two groups were matched with age,sex and the Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE) score.The voxel level regional glucose metabolic rate were analyzed with the Statistical Parametric Mapping(SPM2) software.Results(The regional) glucose metabolism rates in bilateral caudate,superior temporal gyrus,inferior frontal gyrus,middle frontal gyrus,right extra-nuclear,superior frontal gyrus,lingual gyrus and left cingulate gyrus,superior temporal gyrus,sub-gyral and precentral gyrus were decreased in geriatric depression patients than in controls(P0.005).There was no significant difference in brain regions with increased glucose metabolism between two groups.Conclusion These results suggest that the glucose metabolism in prefrontal lobes,temporal lobe,limbic system and basal ganglia is decreased in geriatric depressed patients.