PET Imaging for Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease: From Pathologic to Physiologic Biomarkers

PET Clin. 2017 Jul;12(3):329-350. doi: 10.1016/j.cpet.2017.03.001. Epub 2017 May 2.

Abstract

This article describes the application of various PET imaging agents in the investigation and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), including radiotracers for pathologic biomarkers of AD such as β-amyloid deposits and tau protein aggregates, and the neuroinflammation biomarker 18 kDa translocator protein, as well as physiologic biomarkers, such as cholinergic receptors, glucose metabolism, and the synaptic density biomarker synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A. Potential of these biomarkers for early AD diagnosis is also assessed.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Beta-amyloid; Cholinergic; Inflammation; PET imaging; SV2A; Synaptic density; Tau protein.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnostic imaging*
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Amyloid / metabolism
  • Biomarkers / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals*

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • Biomarkers
  • Radiopharmaceuticals