[18F]Flutemetamol amyloid-beta PET imaging compared with [11C]PIB across the spectrum of Alzheimer's disease.

PURPOSE: The aim was to identify the amyloid beta (Aß) deposition by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with the (18)F-labeled Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) derivative [(18)F]flutemetamol (FMM) across a spectrum of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to compare Aß deposition between [(18)F]FMM and [(11)C]PIB PET imaging. METHODS: The study included 36 patients with AD, 68 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 41 older healthy controls (HC) (aged ≥56), 11 young HC (aged ≤45), and 10 transitional HC (aged 46-55). All 166 subjects underwent 30-min static [(18)F]FMM PET 85 min after injection, 60-min dynamic [(11)C]PIB PET, and cognitive testing. [(18)F]FMM scans were assessed visually, and standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR) were defined quantitatively in regions of interest identified on coregistered MRI (cerebellar cortex as a reference region). The PIB distribution volume ratios (DVR) were determined in the same regions. RESULTS: Of 36 AD patients, 35 had positive scans, while 36 of 41 older HC subjects had negative scans. [(18)F]FMM scans had a sensitivity of 97.2% and specificity of 85.3% in distinguishing AD patients from older HC subjects, and a specificity of 100% for young and transitional HC subjects. The [(11)C]PIB scan had the same results. Interreader agreement was excellent (kappa score = 0.81). The cortical FMM SUVR in AD patients was significantly greater than in older HC subjects (1.76 ± 0.23 vs 1.30 ± 0.26, p < 0.01). Of the MCI patients, 68 had a bimodal distribution of SUVR, and 29 of them (42.6%) had positive scans. Cortical FMM SUVR values were strongly correlated with PIB DVR (r = 0.94, n = 145, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: [(18)F]FMM PET imaging detects Aß deposition in patients along the continuum from normal cognitive status to dementia of AD and discriminates AD patients from HC subjects, similar to [(11)C]PIB PET.

Diagnosed mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease with PET biomarkers of beta amyloid and neuronal dysfunction.

The aim of this study is to identify mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) using amyloid imaging of beta amyloid (Aß) deposition and FDG imaging of reflecting neuronal dysfunction as PET biomarkers. Sixty-eight MCI patients underwent cognitive testing, [11C]-PIB PET and [18F]-FDG PET at baseline and follow-up. Regions of interest were defined on co-registered MRI. PIB distribution volume ratio (DVR) was calculated using Logan graphical analysis, and the standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) on the same regions was used as quantitative analysis for [18F]-FDG. Thirty (44.1%) of all 68 MCI patients converted to AD over 19.2±7.1 months. The annual rate of MCI conversion was 23.4%. A positive Aß PET biomarker significantly identified MCI due to AD in individual MCI subjects with a sensitivity (SS) of 96.6% and specificity (SP) of 42.1%. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 56.8%. A positive Aß biomarker in APOE ε4/4 carriers distinguished with a SS of 100%. In individual MCI subjects who had a prominent impairment in episodic memory and aged older than 75 years, an Aß biomarker identified MCI due to AD with a greater SS of 100%, SP of 66.6% and PPV of 80%, compared to FDG biomarker alone or both PET biomarkers combined. In contrast, when assessed in precuneus, both Aß and FDG biomarkers had the greatest level of certainty for MCI due to AD with a PPV of 87.8%. The Aß PET biomarker primarily defines MCI due to AD in individual MCI subjects. Furthermore, combined FDG biomarker in a cortical region of precuneus provides an added diagnostic value in predicting AD over a short period.

Clinically different stages of Alzheimer's disease associated by amyloid deposition with [11C]-PIB PET imaging.

We investigated whether [11C]-PIB PET detects underlying amyloid deposition at clinically different stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and preclinical dementia. The Japanese cohort of 214 subjects underwent cognitive testing and 60-min dynamic [11C]-PIB PET. [11C]-PIB data were acquired from 35-60 min after injection. Regions of interest were defined on co-registered MRI. Distribution volume ratios (DVR) of PIB retention were determined using Logan graphical analysis. All 56 patients with AD showed a robust increase in PIB retention in cortical areas (typical PIB AD-pattern). A mean DVR value in 11 patients with moderate AD (CDR: 2.1 ± 0.4) showed significantly higher PIB retention (2.38 ± 0.42, p < 0.01) than amyloid-negative healthy control (HC) subjects. The DVR values in 23 patients with very mild AD (CDR: 0.5) and 22 patients with mild AD (CDR: 1.0) were 2.32 ± 0.45 and 2.34 ± 0.42, respectively, similar to moderate AD. In contrast, 28 (48%) of the 58 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients (MMSE: 27.3 ± 1.7) showed a typical AD-like pattern with a DVR value of 2.07 ± 0.34. Further, 17 (18%) of 91 HC subjects had a typical AD-like pattern with a DVR value of 2.06 ± 0.28. They did not significantly differ from very mild AD. The prevalence of AD among the 53 amyloid positive patients aged 75 years or older increased greatly to 74% whereas that of amyloid positive HC decreased by only 9% and amyloid positive MCI by 17%. Prodromal AD and AD dementia is identified, based on cognitive function and amyloid deposition by PIB PET imaging. Further, the cortical amyloid deposition could be detected at preclinical stage of AD.