title: Positron emission tomography and single-photon emission computed tomography brain imaging in the evaluation of dementia.
abstract: The role of PET and SPECT brain imaging in the initial assessment and differential diagnosis of dementia is beginning to evolve rapidly. Numerous studies confirm the value of functional brain imaging, particularly with FDG-PET imaging, as a potentially cost-effective means of establishing an earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Such an approach should allow for a more objective means of establishing which patients will benefit from treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors. In the future, neuroreceptor and plaque burden imaging studies should further enhance the sensitivity and specificity of dementia detection and patient management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Van Heertum
authors.forename: Ronald S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tikofsky
mesh_terms: D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003704:Dementia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods