Brain FDG PET and the Diagnosis of Dementia

OBJECTIVE. We review the role of brain FDG PET in the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and vascular dementia. Characteristic spatial patterns of brain metabolism on FDG PET can help differentiate various subtypes of dementia. CONCLUSION. In patients with different subtypes of dementia, FDG PET/CT shows distinct spatial patterns of metabolism in the brain and can help clinicians to make a reasonably accurate and early diagnosis for appropriate management or prognosis.