Journal
ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY
Volume 9, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
BMC
DOI: 10.1186/s13195-016-0228-4
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease; Dementia; Clinical practice; Diagnostic impact; Positron emission tomography; Imaging; Amyloid
Categories
Funding
- Dutch Alzheimer's Society [WE. 15-2014-01]
- GE Healthcare
- Alzheimer Nederland
- Stichting VUmc fonds
- Stichting Dioraphte
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Background: Early-onset dementia patients often present with atypical clinical symptoms, hampering an accurate clinical diagnosis. The purpose of the present study was to assess the diagnostic impact of the amyloid-positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agent [F-18] flutemetamol in early-onset dementia patients, in terms of change in (confidence in) diagnosis and patient management plan. Methods: This prospective bi-center study included 211 patients suspected of early-onset dementia who visited a tertiary memory clinic. Patients were eligible with Mini Mental State Examination >= 18 and age at diagnosis <= 70 years and in whom the diagnostic confidence was < 90% after routine diagnostic work-up. All patients underwent [F-18] flutemetamol PET, which was interpreted as amyloid-negative or amyloid-positive based on visual rating. Before and after disclosing the PET results, we assessed the diagnostic confidence (using a visual analog scale of 0-100%) and clinical diagnosis. The impact of [F-18] flutemetamol PET on the patient management plan was also evaluated. Results: [F-18] flutemetamol PET scans were positive in 133 out of 211 (63%) patients, of whom 110 out of 144 (76%) patients had a pre-PET Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis and 23 out of 67 (34%) patients had a non-AD diagnosis. After disclosure of PET results, 41/211 (19%) diagnoses changed. Overall, diagnostic confidence increased from 69 +/- 12% to 88 +/- 15% after disclosing PET results (P < 0.001; in 87% of patients). In 79 (37%) patients, PET results led to a change in patient management and predominantly the initiation of AD medication when PET showed evidence for amyloid pathology. Conclusions: [F-18] flutemetamol PET changed clinical diagnosis, increased overall diagnostic confidence, and altered the patient management plan. Our results suggest that amyloid PET may have added value over the standardized diagnostic work-up in early-onset dementia patients with uncertain clinical diagnosis. This study provides evidence for the recommendations put forward in the appropriate use criteria for amyloid PET in clinical practice.
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