Brain PET Imaging: Approach to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

PET Clin. 2023 Jan;18(1):103-113. doi: 10.1016/j.cpet.2022.09.006.

Abstract

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 50% to 60% of cases and affecting nearly 6 million people in the United States. Definitive diagnosis requires either antemortem brain biopsy or postmortem autopsy. However, clinical neuroimaging has been playing a greater role in the diagnosis and management of AD, and several PET tracers approach the sensitivity of tissue diagnosis in identifying AD pathologic condition. This review will focus on the utility of PET imaging in the setting of cognitive impairment, with an emphasis on its role in the diagnosis of AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer disease; Amyloid; Dementia; Neurodegeneration; Positron emission tomography; Tau.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease* / diagnostic imaging
  • Biopsy
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Cognitive Dysfunction* / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Positron-Emission Tomography