PsycINFO Full Reference Document 
Accession Number 
1997-41314-003 
Author 
Lavenu, Isabelle; Pasquier, Florence; Lebert, Florence; Jacob, Bruno; Petit, 
Henri 
Affiliation 
U Hosp of Lille, Dept of Neurology, Memory Clinic, Lille, France 
Title 
Association between medial temporal lobe atrophy on CT and parietotemporal 
uptake decrease on SPECT in Alzheimer's disease. 
Source 
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 1997 Oct Vol 63(4) 441-445 
ISSN/ISBN 
0022-3050 
Language 
English 
Abstract 
There is a need for improvement in diagnostic accuracy for Alzheimer's disease. 
The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of the combination of 
medial temporal lobe atrophy as seen on temporal oriented computed tomography 
(CT) and decreased temporoparietal uptake as assessed with single photon 
emission computerized tomography (SPECT). The study was conducted with125 
patients (51-93 yrs old) with probable Alzheimer's disease, possible 
Alzheimer's, or miscellaneous memory disorders. For the diagnosis of probable 
Alzheimer's disease, the sensitivity of this association was 0.56, the 
specificity 0.93, the positive predictive value 0.95, and the negative 
predictive value 0.45. The diagnostic accuracy was 0.68. Both medial temporal 
atrophy and parietotemporal uptake decrease were present in 4 of 13 patients 
with possible Alzheimer's disease and 11 of 48 with miscellaneous memory 
disorders. The association was absent in 27 of 29 patients with frontotemporal 
dementia. The sensitivity of the association differed in mild stages of the 
disease. This association, although not sensitive, helps to select patients with 
high probability of Alzheimer's disease at an early stage which can be of 
interest for clinical and research purposes. ((c) 1999 APA/PsycINFO, all rights 
reserved) 
Key Phrase Identifiers 
diagnostic value of combination of medial temporal lobe atrophy & decreased 
temporoparietal uptake, 51-93 yr olds with probable vs possible Alzheimer's 
disease vs memory disorders 
Keywords (Thesaurus Terms) 
Alzheimers Disease; Diagnosis; Memory Disorders; Parietal Lobe; Temporal Lobe; 
Adulthood; Aged; Neurochemistry; Very Old 
Classification Codes 
3297 Neurological Disorders & Brain Damage 
Population 
10 Human 300 Adulthood (18 yrs & older); 360 Middle Age (40-64 yrs); 380 Aged 
(65 yrs & older); 390 Very Old (85 yrs & older) 
Population Location 
France 
Form/Content Type 
0800 Empirical Study 
Table of Contents (Book Records only) 
Publication Year 
1997  
Accession Number 
1999-13067-004 
Author 
Hellweg, Rainer; Gericke, Christian A.; Jendroska, Klaus; Hartung, Heinz-Dieter; 
Cervos-Navarro, Jorge 
Affiliation 
Free U Berlin, Dept of Psychiatry, Berlin, Germany 
Title 
NGF content in the cerebral cortex of non-demented patients with amyloid-plaques 
and in symptomatic Alzheimer's disease. 
Source 
International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience. 1998 Nov-Dec Vol 16(7-8) 
787-794 
ISSN/ISBN 
0736-5748 
Language 
English 
Abstract 
There is increasing evidence that in Alzheimer's disease nerve growth factor 
(NGF) protein and mRNA content in post-mortem cortex is not decreased, but may 
be elevated, although the NGF-sensitive cholinergic basal forebrain neurons are 
preferentially affected. Postmortem NGF was measured in the temporal and frontal 
cortices of Alzheimer's disease patients, non-demented controls without 
Alzheimer's, as well as non-demented patients with betaA4 plaques who might be 
classified as preclinical cases. In the Alzheimer's disease group, an increase 
of up to 43% was found in NGF concentrations in the frontal and temporal cortex, 
compared to the 2 other groups. In a subgroup analysis of the non-demented 
patients with plaques, NGF concentrations were lower in the frontal cortex when 
betaA4 plaques were present (46% of the control temporal area) than in patients 
without evidence of frontal plaques (81% of the control temporal area). This NGF 
decrease was parallel to a similar decrease of choline acetyltransferase 
activity, which is regulated by NGF in the cholinergic basal forebrain. These 
findings support the hypothesis of lower cortical NGF content at the onset of 
plaque formation and of elevated NGF levels in advanced Alzheimer's. ((c) 1999 
APA/PsycINFO, all rights reserved) 
Key Phrase Identifiers 
postmortem nerve growth factor in temporal & frontal cortices, patients with 
Alzheimer's disease vs preclinical nondemented patients with beta A4 plaques 
Keywords (Thesaurus Terms) 
Alzheimers Disease; Frontal Lobe; Nerve Growth Factor; Neuropathology; Temporal 
Lobe 
Classification Codes 
3297 Neurological Disorders & Brain Damage 
Population 
10 Human; 30 Male; 40 Female 300 Adulthood (18 yrs & older); 380 Aged (65 yrs & 
older); 390 Very Old (85 yrs & older) 
Population Location 
Germany 
Form/Content Type 
0800 Empirical Study 
Table of Contents (Book Records only) 
Publication Year 
1998