Amyloid PET Scans Could Improve Dementia Diagnosis and Care

Posted by PET-CT Las Colinas on May 25th, 2019

A new type of scan known as Amyloid PET imaging may be the key to better care and diagnosis of dementia. This PET scan can detect changes related to Alzheimer’s disease occurring in the brain. Researchers arrived at this conclusion after carefully analyzing results from a study of 11,000 people with dementia symptoms. When doctors saw the results of these scans, about two-thirds of them altered medications and related medical decisions. Over a third of the cases had their doctors changing the cause of the symptoms.

The study was the first phase of a trial aimed at finding out the clinical impact of the Amyloid PET scan. Findings from the trial include:

• Dementia is a collection of symptoms that involve a deterioration in a person’s ability to think, reason, remember, and relate with others. The various associated conditions involve a loss of brain cells. Alzheimer’s brings about a buildup of amyloid protein on the brain which is toxic. Previously, doctors could only prove its existence by conducting post mortem tests on brain tissue. This scan can now detect the amyloid protein plaque buildup, providing a better diagnosis.

• Over 60 percent of participants had their doctors revising and reversing decisions on medical management based on the scans. Patients that were previously on Alzheimer’s medication but had scanty amyloid protein deposits had their drugs discontinued while those with significant evidence of the plaques were put on Alzheimer’s medication.

• A look at PET scans of those referred to Alzheimer’s clinical trials showed about a third of them had no amyloid plaque. Where doctors had seen the scan results before making references, 93 percent had signs of buildup. These were then placed in the right clinical trial. Proper diagnosis is necessary when conducting drug trials.

The second phase of the trial has started and will look at the effect amyloid PET imaging has on health outcomes. Researchers will compare people with similar symptoms but have not done the scan. The results will come out in 2020.

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PET / CT of Las Colinas was developed with both patients and physicians in mind and our services have been used for various types of disease; primarily in detecting, staging and monitoring cancer, but also in heart disease and brain disorders.