The [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose method for the measurement of local cerebral glucose utilization in man.

TLDR

The method uses an intravenous bolus of [18F]-2‑deoxy‑2‑fluoro‑D‑glucose as a tracer, monitors arterial specific activity for 30–120 min, and applies a mathematical model with 3‑D emission tomography to calculate local cerebral glucose consumption from measurable variables. In two normal volunteers, local cerebral glucose consumption ranged from 5.79 to 10.27 mg/100 g min⁻¹ in gray matter and 3.64 to 4.22 mg/100 g min⁻¹ in white matter, with weighted averages of 8.05, 3.80, and 5.90 mg/100 g min⁻¹ for gray, white, and whole brain, respectively, values that agree with previously reported rates.

Abstract

A method has been developed to measure local glucose consumption in the various structures of the brain in man with three-dimensional resolution. [18F]-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose is used as a tracer for the exchange of glucose between plasma and brain and its phosphorylation by hexokinase in the tissue. A mathematical model and derived operational equation are used which enable local cerebral glucose consumption to be calculated in terms of the following measurable variables. An intravenous bolus of [18F]-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose is given and the arterial specific activity monitored for a predetermined period of from 30 to 120 minutes. Starting at 30 minutes, the activity in a series of sections through the brain is determined with three-dimensional resolution by an emission tomographic scanner. The method was used to measure local cerebral glucose consumption in two normal volunteers. The values in gray matter structures range from 5.79 mg/100 g per minute in the cerebellar cortex to 10.27 in the visual cortex, whereas, in white matter structures, the values range from 3.64 mg/100 g per minute in the corpus callosum to 4.22 in the occipital lobe. Average values for gray matter, white matter, and whole brain metabolic rates, calculated as a weighted average based on the approximate volume of each structure, are 8.05, 3.80, and 5.90 mg/100 g per minute, respectively. The value of 5.9 mg/100 g per minute compares favorably with values previously reported.