title: Imaging pathological tau in atypical parkinsonian disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This review examines the current literature on tau imaging in atypical parkinsonian disorders and other tauopathies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There are a number of tau PET radiotracers that have demonstrated promising preliminary results in atypical parkinsonian disorders, such as progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. These radiotracers were capable of selectively labeling tau in vitro and in vivo, with high affinity. Other radiotracers tested more extensively in patients with Alzheimer's disease have also been able to successfully image tau deposition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The development of tau radioligands for PET has led to the current testing of these tracers in clinical studies, many of which concentrate on patients with Alzheimer's disease. Atypical parkinsonian disorders such as progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration are now being investigated as well. These disorders can be very difficult to diagnose, because of their clinical overlap with other parkinsonian disorders. Imaging tau using PET could serve as a diagnostic biomarker for these tauopathies and provide a means of assessing treatment that targets tau burden.
authors.affiliation: aMorton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorder Unit and Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson Disease, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network bResearch Imaging Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health cDivision of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour - Systems Neuroscience, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coakeley
authors.forename: Antonio P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Strafella
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods*; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016875:tau Proteins