[A brief reference to this item appears in: Dementia and Elderly Care: the Latest Evidence Newsletter (RWHT), Volume 3 Issue 3, October 2012].
Summary
The role of PET in the diagnosis and management of dementia is expected to increase in future, both for preclinical / differential diagnoses and for the evaluation of novel therapies currently under development. Widespread availability of PET scanners makes this more practical and improved quantitative analysis methods has improved scan quality and diagnostic information.
Although single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has historically been the modality of choice for functional neuroimaging of dementia, this is being replaced by positron emission tomography (PET). SPECT assesses perfusion mainly, whereas PET focuses on metabolism. Both PET and SPECT offer similar diagnostic information. The advantages of PET over SPECT are better spatial resolution and ability to quantify changes. The most commonly used agent in PET imaging is F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG).
This article includes sections on the imaging and diagnosis of:
- Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).
- Diffuse Lewy Body Disease (DLB).
- Parkinson’s Disease (PD).
- Frontotemporal Lobar Dementia (FTD).
Reference
Mehta, L. Thomas, S. (2012). The role of PET in dementia diagnosis and treatment. Applied Radiology, May 1st 2012, Vol.41(5), pp.8-15.
