[¹⁸F]flutemetamol amyloid positron emission tomography in preclinical and symptomatic Alzheimer's disease: Specific detection of advanced phases of amyloid‐β pathology

Abstract

Abstract Background Amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) has become an important tool to identify amyloid‐β (Aβ) pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Here, we determined the diagnostic value of the amyloid PET tracer [ 18 F]flutemetamol in relation to Aβ pathology at autopsy. Methods [ 18 F]flutemetamol PET was carried out in a cohort of 68 patients included in a [ 18 F]flutemetamol amyloid PET imaging end‐of‐life study (GE067‐007). At autopsy, AD pathology was determined and Aβ plaque pathology was classified into phases of its regional distribution (0–5). Results [ 18 F]flutemetamol PET was universally positive in cases with advanced stage postmortem Aβ pathology (Aβ phases 4 and 5). Negative amyloid PET was universally observed in nondemented or non‐AD dementia cases with initial Aβ phases 1 and 2, whereas 33.3% of the phase 3 cases were positive. Conclusions [ 18 F]flutemetamol amyloid PET detects primarily advanced stages of Aβ pathology in preclinical and symptomatic AD cases.

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Affiliated Institutions

• Uppsala University SE
• Universität Ulm DE
• Banner Sun Health Research Institute US
• St James's University Hospital GB

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