Comparison of FDG PET to Amyloid-beta (AB) PET in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment or Mild Dementia due to Alzheimer’s Disease

 

Conclusions:

1. Compared to Aβ PET as gold standard for the in vivo diagnosis of amyloid pathology, FDG PET shows reduced diagnostic sensitivity for those with mild cognitive impairment and older adults.

2. A negative FDG PET does not exclude AD pathology.

3. Relying on FDG PET alone for AD diagnosis misses 22% of amyloid positive patients.

4. These findings support AβPET as the preferred diagnostic modality for amyloid pathology particularly in MCI and older patients.

5. It reinforces the role of FDG PET in disease staging which should be aligned with clinical diagnostic pathways and funding for diagnostic tests.