Increased glucose concentration in the hippocampus in early Alzheimer's disease following oral glucose ingestion

Glucose is the primary source of energy for brain cells. Because energy storage in the brain is limited, an uninterrupted supply of glucose and its rapid metabolism are essential for normal cognitive function. This study utilized an oral glucose load to examine hippocampal glucose metabolism in early Alzheimer's disease (AD) - a disease characterized by progressive deterioration of cognitive function and glucose hypometabolism. Short echo time 1H MR spectra (20 ms) from the right hippocampus of 8 patients with probable AD, 14 healthy elderly and 14 healthy young adults were compared pre- and post-glucose loading. In contrast to the healthy adults, the AD patients exhibited significantly elevated hippocampal glucose concentrations post-glucose ingestion relative to baseline (P<.01). These results suggest that cerebral glucose hypometabolism in AD leads to an increased steady-state concentration of cerebral glucose. This research demonstrates the feasibility of studying cerebral glucose metabolism in AD with 1H MR spectroscopy.