USDOE Human Subjects Research Database, fiscal year 1995

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Project Identifier: BNL-94-144E

Project Title:

Evaluation of 18-FDG in the Diagnosis of Glucose Metabolism in the Human Body (Alzheimer's)

Principle Investigator: Dr. Joanna S. Fowler

Project started in: 1994

Fiscal Year 1995 Funding for Research on Human Subjects:

Project Funding Information:
Project received funding in Fiscal Year 1995.
Project used human subjects in Fiscal Year 1995.

Funding Sources:

DOE: Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER)

Amount: $57,000 (Est.)

Non-DOE Federal: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Amount: $108,000 (Est.)
Comments:

MH 43965

Total Funding: $165,000

Information on Use of Human Subjects:

Project does not involve use of multiple protocols/subprojects.

IRB Review:
Type of Review: Full Board
Most Recent Approval: January 04, 1995

Number of Human Subjects in the Last Reporting Period for this Project: 33
(Reporting periods vary.)

Type of Human Subjects Involvement:

Ionizing Radiation and Radioactive Substances:

External use of ionizing radiation on human subjects.

• For clinical research.

Internal administration of radioactive substances to human subjects.

• For clinical research.

Collection of Bodily Materials:

Collection of personally identifiable bodily materials (blood or blood products, cells, tissue, organs, waste).

• Use of bodily materials collected from subjects specifically for this project.

(a. Objectives, b. Methodology, c. Ionizing Radiation, Radioactive Substances, or Chemical Substances to which human subjects are exposed, d. Involvement of Human Subjects [d.1. procedures used, d.2. risks if any])

The primary hypothesis of this protocol is that among non-demented elderly (ranging from normal through minimum impairment) hippocampal metabolic changes as measured by 18-FDG (fluoro-deoxyglucose) PET scans precede cognitive deterioration, the clinical diagnosis of dementia and metabolic neocortical changes. Approximately 20 subjects per year will be studied. They will have annual longitudinal follow up positron emission tomography (PET) studies and we will analyze all longitudinal studies (baseline and follow up) with respect to our hypothesis. Our preliminary analysis shows that the size of the hippocampus at the baseline, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), predicts the neocortical regional brain glucose metabolism change at follow up. In other words, those cases with smaller hippocampi had reduced neocortical cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CRMglu) on their follow up PET scans, suggesting that the first site of pathology is the hippocampus.

Subjects have a short-lived positron emitter tracer administered and are subsequently scanned with PET. A potential side effect of radiation is the induction of cancer. However, no harm in a human individual or in a large population exposed at doses as low as those delivered in this procedure has been reported. The estimation of risk of harm can be obtained only by extrapolation from much higher doses. Arterial catheterization has the following rare but possible complications: pain during placement of the catheter, a risk of bleeding at the skin puncture site, the possibility of local infection and temporary or permanent impairment of the blood supply to portions of the hand. Whenever blood is removed or a substance is injected by venipuncture, there is minor discomfort and a slight possibility of local bleeding in the tissues.