J Korean Geriatr Psychiatry.  2016 Apr;20(1):38-44. 10.0000/jkgp.2016.20.1.38.

The Clinical Usefulness of Beta-Amyloid Positron Emission Tomography Imaging in the Elderly Patients: Case Series & Brief Review

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Radiology, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Uijeongbu, Korea. ctlee@catholic.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Radiology, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Uijeongbu, Korea.

Abstract

The aim was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of beta-amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) in elderly patients with cognitive impairment in the clinical setting. Five subjects underwent beta-amyloid PET imaging to explore the cerebral beta-amyloid deposition. The two male patients with minor neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease, who displayed similar degree of cognitive impairment and medial temporal atrophy but different in apolipoprotein E4 status, both showed negative for beta-amyloid PET. On the other hand, a female major neurocognitive disorder due to probable Alzheimer's disease patient was tested positive for beta-amyloid PET, with increased beta-amyloid density in frontal and parietal lobes. Beta-amyloid PET was also used for the differential diagnosis of neurocognitive disorder from other psychiatric disorders in two elderly patients. The results were negative but assisted the diagnositic confirmation. A female patient was determined to be a case of late-onset schizophrenia and a male patient was determined as delirium due to minor traumatic brain injury, persistent. Beta-amyloid PET imaging was able to demonstrate cerebral beta-amyloid deposition in major neurocognitive disorder due to probable Alzheimer's disease in visual scale. However, further studies are needed for its clinical utility in the minor neurocognitive disorders. Moreover, beta-amyloid PET imaging may provide additional information in diagnosing primary psychiatric disorders with new onset in the old age.

Keyword

Alzheimer disease; Neurocognitive disorders; Beta-amyloid protein; Positron-emission tomography; Late onset disorders

MeSH Terms

Late Onset Disorders
Aged*
Alzheimer Disease
Amyloid beta-Peptides
Apolipoprotein E4
Atrophy
Brain Injuries
Delirium
Diagnosis, Differential
Electrons*
Female
Hand
Humans
Male
Parietal Lobe
Positron-Emission Tomography*
Schizophrenia
Amyloid beta-Peptides
Apolipoprotein E4
Full Text Links
  • JKGP
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr