Iofetamine I 123 single photon emission computed tomography is accurate in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

Article Abstract:

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic, organic mental disorder, or form of presenile dementia, in which the loss of intellectual function results from deterioration of the frontal and occipital lobes of the brain. It usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 60 years, and most commonly affects women. AD is characterized by the progressive, irreversible loss of memory, deterioration of intellectual function, indifference, speech and walking disorders, and disorientation. Within a few months to five years the disease may progress to complete loss of intellectual function. Brain function of patients with AD may be assessed by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), an imaging method using radioactive substances that release single photons or units of light energy. The effectiveness of SPECT using the radioactive substance iofetamine hydrochloride I 123 (IMP) in diagnosing AD was assessed in 58 patients with AD and 15 normal subjects. IMP with SPECT was 88 percent sensitive (identified individuals with AD) and 87 percent specific (identified individuals without AD) in diagnosing AD. The technique was 80 percent sensitive in identifying mild cognitive or intellectual abnormalities among 15 subjects without AD. IMP with SPECT showed that the parietal lobes of the brain were the most functionally impaired of all brain regions in patients with AD; this finding correlated with results from a cognitive function test known as the Blessed Dementia Scale. IMP with SPECT may serve as a useful, additional technique for diagnosing AD in the early, mild stage of the disease. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Diagnosis, Alzheimer's disease

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Positron emission tomography

Article Abstract:

Positron emission tomography (PET) provides images of the body using radioactive substances that release positrons, which are small particles with positive charges. PET has been useful in providing various physiologic and biochemical measurements within specific regions of the brain and heart, including blood flow and tissue use of oxygen and glucose. However, the usefulness and validity of these measurements have yet to be established. PET may be particularly valuable in studying the function of nerves under normal conditions and disease states, because blood flow and glucose consumption are well-known indicators of nerve activity. This imaging technique has been used to characterize biochemical processes involving dopamine, a natural substance involved in the pathogenesis of certain psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. PET has been used to diagnose certain disorders of the heart and brain: myocardial ischemia, or insufficient blood supply to the heart; coronary artery disease involving the major blood vessels supplying the heart; impaired function of the left ventricle; tumors of the brain; and epilepsy. In the future, this technique may become useful in diagnosing dementia, or decreased intellectual function, and tumors throughout the body. PET techniques must be improved, and more personnel with training and experience in using this imaging method are needed. Finally, the value and cost-effectiveness of PET in science and medicine have yet to be established. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

editorial

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National Cancer Institute Workshop statement

Article Abstract:

Positron emission tomography (PET) provides images of the body using radioactive substances that release positrons, which are small particles with positive charges. PET has been useful in providing various physiologic and biochemical measurements, such as blood flow and the tissue consumption, or use, of oxygen and glucose within specific regions of the body, particularly the brain and heart. A recent meeting discussed several aspects of the clinical use of PET, including the status of technology, current clinical applications in the brain and heart, and limitations of PET. The clinical applications of PET include: assessment of gliomas, a type of brain tumor; detection of coronary artery disease, which affects the major blood vessels supplying the heart; assessment of the viability of the heart; selection of patients for surgical control of seizure disorders; and characterization of the cause of dementia, or decreased intellectual function. The future directions of research are also discussed. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Conferences, meetings and seminars, Social policy, United States. National Cancer Institute

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