PET imaging and dementia

Abstract

With the greying of the population, the prevalence and significance of dementia increases. There has been an increased awareness of the disease especially with the development and marketing of effective treatment measures. As treatment becomes more effective, the making of early and accurate diagnoses becomes essential. There have been many exciting advances in structural (eg. CT-Computed Tomography) and functional imaging (eg. PET- Positron Emission Tomography). The role of PET imaging is at present not clear but there have been recent developments that are worth reviewing. This review attempts to describe the possible role that PET imaging may have in the diagnosis, prognostication and monitoring of dementia. This modality should not be used in place of good clinical evaluation, simple laboratory tests and basic structural imaging. Where it may best serve a role is in cases where a clear diagnosis still eludes the clinician after all routine recommended measures have been followed.