Prospective randomized trial to assess effects of continuing hormone therapy on cerebral function in postmenopausal women at risk for dementia.

Unlabelled: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of estrogen-based hormone therapy (HT) on regional cerebral metabolism in postmenopausal women (mean age = 58, SD = 5) at risk for development of dementia. The prospective clinical trial design included pre- and post-intervention neuroimaging of women randomized to continue (HT+) or discontinue (HT-) therapy following an average of 10 years of use. The primary outcome measure was change in brain metabolism during the subsequent two years, as assessed with fluorodeoxyglucose-18 positron emission tomography (FDG-PET).

The effect of aromatase inhibition on the cognitive function of older patients with breast cancer.

Introduction: This study evaluated the association between aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy and cognitive function (over a 6-month period) in a cohort of patients aged ≥ 60 years compared with an age-matched healthy control group, and it evaluated changes in regional cerebral metabolism as measured by positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the brain done in a subset of the patient cohort.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-five patients (32 evaluable) and 35 healthy controls were recruited to this study. Patients with breast cancer completed a neuropsychological battery, self-reported memory questionnaire, and geriatric assessment before initiation of AI therapy and again 6 months later.

A pilot study of the effects of meditation on regional brain metabolism in distressed dementia caregivers.

AIMS: Caregiver distress can affect mood and cognition. Meditation can be used to reduce stress. This pilot study explored whether yogic meditation could change regional cerebral metabolism in distressed caregivers.

Correlation of 6-18F-fluoro-L-dopa PET uptake with proliferation and tumor grade in newly diagnosed and recurrent gliomas.

Unlabelled: 6-(18)F-fluoro-l-dopa ((18)F-FDOPA) measured with PET as a biomarker of amino acid uptake has been investigated in brain tumor imaging. The aims of the current study were to determine whether the degree of (18)F-FDOPA uptake in brain tumors predicted tumor grade and was associated with tumor proliferative activity in newly diagnosed and recurrent gliomas.

Methods: Fifty-nine patients (40 men, 19 women; mean age ± SD, 44.

Differences in regional brain metabolism associated with specific formulations of hormone therapy in postmenopausal women at risk for AD.

Differential cerebral metabolic effects of various hormone therapy formulations, and their associations with cognitive status, remain to be established. The principal aim of the current study was to assess relationships between regional cerebral metabolism and estrogen-based hormone therapies. Postmenopausal women (n=53) at elevated risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) were on estrogen-containing hormone therapy for at least one year prior to enrollment in a prospective, randomized clinical trial.