title: The utility of PET brain imaging in the initial evaluation of dementia.
abstract: Given the challenges and benefits of timely and accurate diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders and the importance of appropriate subsequent treatments, physicians and patients alike desire tools that aid in diagnosing dementia as early and as precisely as possible. One of these tools may be functional brain imaging, specifically positron emission tomography (PET). Recent technological advancements, ongoing research studies, and approval for reimbursement by various insurance companies and Medicare, under certain circumstances, have led to an increased interest in the use of this tool in the evaluation of dementia. This article will review PET brain imaging in the initial assessment and diagnosis of dementia, including its place in current guidelines and role in diagnostic algorithms, its applicability in differentiating among various dementia syndromes and major psychiatric disorders, and some of the controversies surrounding its utility in general clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Multicampus Fellowship Program in Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: Randall
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Espinoza
authors.forename: Nancy T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Weintraub
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D015995:Prevalence; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology