Dual- biomarker imaging of regional cerebral amyloid load and neuronal activity in dementia with PET and 11C-labeled Pittsburgh compound B

Abstract

PET studies with biomarkers of regional neuronal activity (cerebral glucose metabolism or blood flow [CBF]) and amy-loid-b (Ab) depositions provide complementary information for the early diagnosis of dementia and follow-up of patients with dementia. We investigated the validity of relative regional CBF estimates (R1) gained from pharmacokinetic analyses of 11C-labeled Pittsburgh compound B (11C-PIB) PET studies as a marker of neuronal activity and neurodegeneration. Methods: Twenty-two patients with cognitive impairment (16 patients with early Alzheimer disease) underwent 18F-FDG and 11C-PIB PET studies for the assessment of regional glucose metabolism and Ab load. Parametric images of R1 (relative CBF) and binding potential (BPND; Ab load) were generated by 2-step simplified reference tissue model (SRTM2) analyses of dynamic 11C-PIB data. Volume-of-interest and voxel-based statistical analyse