Imaging of Microglial Activation and Amyloid Deposition in Dementia with PET

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a well-established imaging modality. Measurement of regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMRglc) using PET and [18F]-2- fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) has become a standard technique in both dementia research and in a diagnostic setting. When measuring rCMRglc in Alzheimer's disease (AD), characteristic reductions in rCMRglc are found in neocortical association areas including the posterior cingulate, precuneus, temporoparietal and frontal multimodal association regions; the primary visual cortex, sensorimotor cortex, basal ganglia and cerebellum are relatively unaffected.…