Altered Regional CBF Correlates with Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) Profile in the Patients with Memory Lapse

Abstract

Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) has been used for the detection of Alzheimer’s disease, because its diagnostic value is not widely accepted due to lack of supportive imaging data. In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the validity of RBANS by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to evaluate regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). Methods: We enrolled 87 subjects with complaints of memory impairment who underwent both RBANS and SPECT. The RBANS scores were assessed, correlating with the decrease of rCBF in the crucial areas. Results: Linear regression analysis showed a significant positive correlation between the total and delayed memory scores of RBANS and the rCBF of the posterior cingulate gyrus and the precuneus. In the 2-sample t-test, the rCBF of the posterior cingulate gyrus in the patients with a total RBANS score of less than 34 was significantly lower, compared to those with a score more than 35. Conclusion: These data indicated a significant correlation between the RBANS total score and the perfusion of the posterior cingulate gyrus, and both methods are considered complementarily useful for detecting early Alzheimer’s disease.