Amyloid Imaging with PET in Early Alzheimer Disease Diagnosis

In vivo imaging of amyloid-beta (A beta) with positron emission tomography has moved from the research arena into clinical practice. Clinicians working with cognitive decline and dementia must become familiar with its benefits' and limitations. Amyloid imaging allows earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer disease and better differential diagnosis of dementia and provides prognostic information for mild cognitive impairment. It also has an increasingly important role in therapeutic trial recruitment and for evaluation of anti-A beta treatments. Longitudinal observations are required to elucidate the role of A beta deposition in the course of Alzheimer disease and provide information needed to fully use the prognostic power of this investigation.