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PET scan may aid diagnosis, monitoring of Alzheimer's

Brain imaging technology advocates are hunting for the definitive noninvasive test, but critics say cognitive evaluation is still the best approach.

By Victoria Stagg Elliott, amednews staff. Feb. 25, 2002.

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Brain imaging combined with a new chemical marker may be able to conclusively diagnose and track progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to a paper published in the February American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Diagnosing the disease has long been tricky, relying on cognitive function assessments that yield varying degrees of accuracy, depending on the skill of the person administering the test. Currently, only an autopsy can provide a definitive diagnosis.

"Most forms of dementia clinically look the same," said Gary Small, MD, one of the authors of the paper and director of the University of California, Los Angeles, Center on Aging. "But if we can pinpoint the specific form of dementia, we can use the appropriate medication to postpone the onset of the disease. This is a major gain."

Researchers have long been looking for a conclusive noninvasive test.

Those at UCLA used positron emission tomography combined with FDDNP, a molecule that binds to the brain plaques and tangles associated with the disease. One subject died during the study, and an autopsy was performed to validate results from the PET scan.

Researchers say this technology may initially be useful to monitor more accurately the effectiveness of drugs, particularly in trials. It may also eventually be used to diagnose the disease before onset.

"The more immediate application is in drug discovery," said Dr. Small. "There are a lot of companies that are looking to new compounds that will help prevent the plagues and tangles or to get rid of them once they're there. This is a way to test those new drugs in an efficient way." [...]