Long Night's Journey into the Day: Amyloid-beta Imaging in Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

The introduction of radiotracers for the non-invasive in vivo quantification of amyloid-β (Aβ) burden in the brain has revolutionized the approach to the evaluation of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ burden as measured by positron emission tomography (PET) matches histopathological reports of Aβ distribution in aging and dementia. It appears more accurate than FDG for the diagnosis of AD, and is an excellent aid in the differential diagnosis of AD from frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Apolipoprotein E ε4 carriers, independent of diagnosis or disease severity, present with higher Aβ burden than non-ε4 carriers. As new therapies enter clinical trials, the role of Aβ imaging in vivo is becoming ..