Dementia is a complex syndrome affecting areas of cognition, problem-solving, memory amongst many others. Often times there is a significant overlap of clinical presentation of various dementia disorders.
Functional imaging can objectively diagnose, predict and differentiate various dementia disorders at a much higher sensitivity and specificity then conventional imaging. Nuclear medicine offers PET and SPECT imaging technology for the same.
This functional imaging modality is based on the utilisation of caused by the neurons. Areas showing abnormal function show a reduction in glucose utilisation and hence can be seen as an area of hypometabolism on the brain PET imaging.
Since funcåonal changes proceed the development of structural changes, brain PET can pick abnormalities earlier then morphologic abnormalities
Amongst the current available imaging modalies FDG brain PET is the most sensive technique for evaluaon of Alzheimer’s disease.
Paent’s clinical MCI progresses to develop frank Alzheimer’s disease while a small subgroup stays stable.
Subjects with clinical MCI and an abnormal abrain PET are 18 mes more likely to develop frank Alzheimer’s disease in due course of me when compared with those subjects with normal Brain PET
Reference DOI: 10.4103/0972-3919.147525