More Accurate Way to Diagnosis Alzheimer’s Disease vs. Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130161533.htm
Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are two common types of dementia with similar symptoms but have different treatment plans. Accurately diagnosing the correct type of dementia is difficult. In the November 30th issue of Neurology, researchers reported finding a marker that can be used to detect plaque in the brain. Plaque is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease but not FTLD. 107 people with early onset dementia underwent a brain PET scan (positron emission tomography) using a PIB marker which detects the plaque. Then they underwent another PET scan using a FDG marker, which detects changes in the brain’s metabolism. The FDG marker is currently being used to differentiate between the two types of dementia.
The study found that the PIB PET scans performed just as well as the FDG PET scans but the PIB PET scans had higher sensitivity and better accuracy. PIB PET scans are not widely available but similar plaque markers are being developed for clinical use. The study was done at the Univ. of California San Francisco, UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and was authored b Dr. Gil D. Rabinovici.
If the PIB PET scans are more accurate and get Alzheimer’s patients the care they need quicker, it would be a good diagnostic test to develop, especially if it is cost effective.
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