Association between Benton Visual Retention Test Scores and PET Imaging in Elderly Adults

Background: The Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) is a well-validated and reliable test for assessing visual memory and visuospatial function. However, the association between the BVRT score and imaging biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains unclear. Objective: This study examined whether the BVRT score is associated with brain amyloid burden and cortical glucose metabolism in elderly adults without dementia. Methods: A total of 69 elderly adults without dementia, including 45 subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and 24 cognitively healthy adults, underwent the BVRT and ¹¹C-Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) and ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography. The correct scores in the BVRT were used for analyses. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between BVRT scores and PiB or FDG uptake. Moreover, a voxel-wise linear regression analysis of the association between BVRT scores and PiB or FDG uptake was conducted using Statistical Parametric Mapping. Results: After adjusting for age, sex, education, and ApoE4 status, the BVRT scores were inversely correlated with the mean PiB uptake (β = −0.35, P = 0.003), whereas they were positively correlated with FDG uptake (β = 0.266, P = 0.038). Moreover, the BVRT scores were inversely correlated with amyloid burden in the right superior temporal and superior frontal gyri and the left parietal lobe, whereas they were positively correlated with cortical glucose metabolism in the right posterior cingulate and milled temporal gyri, left temporoparietal lobe, and right superior frontal gyrus. Conclusion: BVRT scores are correlated with brain amyloid burden and cortical glucose metabolism, mainly in regions commonly affected in AD.