An imaging center operated by Radiology Partners has been chosen to participate in a U.S. Alzheimer's diagnosis PET imaging study.
Columbus Radiology in Ohio will join 200 sites across the country to measure the effect of PET scans on the detection of amyloid plaque in the Imaging Dementia -- Evidence for Amyloid Scanning (IDEAS) study. The study brings together the Alzheimer's Association and the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN). Researchers will assess whether amyloid PET scans can help clinicians diagnose causes of cognitive impairment in diagnostically uncertain cases.
Columbus Radiology will partner with Mercy Health-Fairfield Hospital, Mercy Health-Anderson Hospital, and Mercy Health-Clermont Hospital as the designated PET facility; it is the first participating radiology practice in the Columbus and Cincinnati areas, according to Radiology Partners. Columbus Radiology plans to work with three other Mercy Health hospitals in Cincinnati to get them approved as IDEAS study sites.
IDEAS will provide access to amyloid imaging for more than 18,000 Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 and older who meet appropriate use criteria, with the goal of clarifying the cause of decline in patients' memory and thinking. The patients will be enrolled over 24 months.
