Abstract

Gait disorders have been identified as one of the most influential physical impairments associated with deterioration in daily living activities among the elderly. A better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for gait disorders is important for developing intervention strategies for the elderly. In recent years, positron emission tomography (PET) and [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) have been used to monitor glucose uptake by skeletal muscle during exercise. This review discusses recent studies in which FDG PET has been used to measure muscular glucose uptake, differences between young adults and the elderly in muscular glucose uptake during walking, and the usefulness of FDG PET for determining the effects of exercise intervention in the elderly.

Keywords: FDG, positron emission tomography, physical activity, exercise, aged, skeletal muscle, gait disorder