Dear Molecular Imaging Insider,
As projections forecast that an escalating number of people will be living with Alzheimer's disease in the decades to come, more than 60 U.S. research institutions are collaborating on a clinical trial using PET to detect amyloid plaque in the brain and guide the use of an investigational drug designed to reduce the protein's influence on disease progression.
The Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's (A4) study is enrolling 1,000 subjects with normal memory and cognitive function, but who also have elevated levels of amyloid plaque, which is associated with Alzheimer's. The study relies on two products from Eli Lilly to detect and potentially reduce amyloid deposits. Be among the first to get the details in this Insider Exclusive.
Meanwhile, florbetapir-PET scans show that midlife adults with two or more vascular risk factors are significantly more likely to have greater levels of amyloid deposits in their brains later in life than peers with no such risk factors. The findings place a greater urgency on determining the potential causes of the disease earlier in a person's life.
Even though a lower dose of FDG did not significantly affect lesion detection for most adult cancer patients undergoing whole-body PET/MRI scans, German researchers recommend that clinicians stay with recommended levels to avoid artifacts. While FDG dose could go as low as 2 MBq/kg based on body weight (BW) with no significant degradation in diagnostic image quality in most middle body areas, amounts below the standard level of 3 MBq/kgBW also resulted in large artifacts in the abdominal/pelvic region.
The use of ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) SPECT scans to rule out pulmonary embolism is changing. What used to be the definitive test for pulmonary embolism is shifting into a role that harmonizes with the use of pulmonary CT angiography. While the use of V/Q in conjunction with SPECT/CT has improved clot detection sensitivity compared with planar imaging, CT's additional radiation dose remains a concern.
FDG-PET/CT can play a valuable role in directing image-guided biopsies of pediatric cancer patients, given its ability to detect and discern between malignant and benign regions, according to a recent study. The findings suggest FDG-PET/CT would be useful in identifying the best site for biopsy in young patients.
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