PET/CT in diagnosis of dementia.

Publication Type	Review
Authors	Berti V, Pupi A, Mosconi L
Journal	Ann N Y Acad Sci
Volume	1228
Pagination	81-92
Date Published	06/01/2011
ISSN	1749-6632
Keywords	Dementia, Positron-Emission Tomography, Tomography, Emission-Computed
Abstract	Clinical use of positron emission tomography (PET) is now well established in neurodegenerative disorders, especially in the diagnosis of dementia. Measurement of cerebral glucose metabolism is of significant value, and it facilitates early diagnosis, appropriate differential diagnosis, and the evaluation of drug treatment in patients with dementia. In addition, tracers offer new perspectives for studying the neuropathology of underlying dementia, such as the accumulation of amyloid proteins, tau-proteins, or the presence of neuroinflammation. Finally, PET tracer studies of different neurotransmitter systems in dementia may not only increase the understanding of pathophysiologic mechanisms of the different disorders, but also improve diagnostic accuracy. In conclusion, PET imaging with different tracers offers reliable biomarkers in dementia, which can assist clinicians in the diagnosis of different dementing disorders, especially in the situation of overlapping phenotypes.
DOI	10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06015.x
PubMed ID	21718326
PubMed Central ID	PMC3692287