Association between Cognitive Performance and Cortical Glucose Metabolism in Patients with Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

<i>Background:</i> Neuronal and synaptic function in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is measured in vivo by glucose metabolism using positron emission tomography (PET). <i>Objective:</i> We hypothesized that neuronal activation as measured by PET is a more sensitive index of neuronal dysfunction than activity during rest. We investigated if the correlations between dementia severity as measured with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and glucose metabolism are an artifact of brain atrophy. <i>Method:</i> Glucose metabolism was measured using [<sup>18</sup>F]fluorodeoxyglucose PET during rest and activation due to audiovisual stimulation in 13 m…