Original Paper

Positron Emission Tomography Facilitates Diagnosis of Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease
Aaron M. McMurtray^{a, b}, Eliot Licht^{a, b}, Tuty Yeo^a, Erica Krisztal^a, Ronald E. Saul^{a, b}, Mario F. Mendez<sup>a, b

a</sup>Department of Neurology, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and
^bVA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, Calif., USA

Address of Corresponding Author

Eur Neurol 2008;59:31-37 (DOI: 10.1159/000109258)

  Key Words

• Positron emission tomography
• Sensitivity
• Dementia
• Alzheimer's disease

  Abstract

Background: Clinical positron emission tomography (PET) may help in the evaluation of presenile patients with memory complaints for the presence of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: Clinical PET scans from 27 patients with clinically probable AD and early ages of onset (<65 years) were compared to PET scans from 27 age-matched controls presenting with memory complaints, but without dementia or mild cognitive impairment. Results: Compared to controls, the AD patients had significant frontal, temporal and parietal hypometabolism bilaterally, and AD diagnosis correlated with left temporal and right temporoparietal hypometabolism. The sensitivity of temporoparietal hypometabolism for AD was 92.6%, the specificity 85.2%. Conclusion: Clinical PET imaging helps distinguish early-onset AD from patients with memory complaints not meeting criteria for dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

M.F. Mendez
Neurobehavior (116AF; Bldg 500, 3S), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare
11301 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90073 (USA)
Tel. +1 310 478 3711, ext. 42696, Fax +1 310 268 4181, E-Mail mmendez@ucla.edu

  Article Information

Received: December 15, 2006
Accepted: April 4, 2007
Published online: October 4, 2007
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 3, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 31