Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

In both X-rays and CT scans, a form of radiation is emitted and travels through the body, and a detector receives the unabsorbed rays and transmits them to a computer. The physics behind PET scanning is quite different. Basically, a person is injected with a radioactive substance. This substance begins the process of

Diagnosis is based on performance in tests, such as the memory impairment screen (MIS) or the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG), to determine cognitive function and based on recommended guidelines as published by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) (Grossberg et al., 2010). Due to the slowly progressive nature of AD it is possible that diagnosis is not made during the mild or even moderate stages of the disease, which could have effects of the effectiveness of currently available treatments; thus the current recommendation is routine annual screening for development of AD.

Although Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most widely known cause of dementia in the elderly population, there are many other explanations and clinical diagnoses that

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a form of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. AD typically involves the development of a progressive neuropsychiatric disorder that is characterized by gradual memory impairment, loss of acquired skills and emotional disturbances (Lee, Y. J., Han, S. B., Nam, S. Y., Oh, K. W., & Hong, J. T.). Every 67 seconds an individual in the United States develops AD. AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. There are 5.3 million Americans diagnosed with AD (Latest Alzheimer's Facts and Figures). AD is one of the few degenerative diseases that cannot be prevented, stopped, or cured (Latest Alzheimer's Facts and Figures). Post-mortem examination of the brain of AD patients usually

The records have been reviewed. The member is an adult female with a birth date of 06/13/1961. She has a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, other dementia. Her treating provider, David S. Knopman, MD, recommended that she have a fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan, which was performed on 01/26/2016.

Pre-clinical: The pre-clinical stage of Alzheimer’s is a relatively new description for the initial biological changes that are underway before any clinical symptoms are experienced. This stage may begin years, or even decades before symptoms such as memory loss and confusion occur. With the help of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or positron emission tomography (PET), and proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), researchers are able to identify the accumulation of amyloid beta proteins. This occurrence is thought to be connected to structural and functional brain changes similar to those in patients with Alzheimer’s.

The same procedures used to identify preclinical Alzheimer's disease can help determine whether MCI is due to Alzheimer's disease or something else.

This indicates that for individuals that are living with the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, they can only be confirmed as “probable Alzheimer’s disease”. Until an autopsy can confirm that an individual did suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, the diagnosis comes from MRI and PET scans and the symptoms an individual is suffering (Gluck et al, 2014). More research needs to place an emphasis on accurate diagnosis that will help not only the patients suffering from Alzheimer’s but also doctors and researchers in identifying

There are many Neuropsychological assessments used to differentiate AD from other dementia diseases such as Wechsler Memory Scale, Rey Auditory verbal learning test (RAVLT),Figure copying which used to test spatial skills ,Digit Span Forward

AD is most commonly associated with the elderly population, with the majority of diagnosis occurring in individuals over 65. Early onset Alzheimer’s is possible but not nearly as common. Physicians diagnose cases of dementia based on the criteria found in the Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), published in 2013. The criteria demand decline in memory and at least one of

The only way to confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer's is by autopsy of brain tissue. It is important to carefully evaluate individuals who exhibit the symptoms of dementia because so some of the cause can be treated reversed. The reversible conditions include metabolic changes, drug reactions, and depression. The physical, psychological, and neurological examination can lead to a relatively accurate diagnosis. This requires the medical history, mental status testing, blood test and brain imaging to rule out other causes of dementia like symptoms. Even though there isn’t one specific test that is able to identify Alzheimer’s, a comprehensive evaluation will include the physical examination, neurological, health history, mental status, analysis

In 2004, Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB) was created (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). PIB is imaging software that allows early detection of AD. With all of these discoveries, researchers have learned how the Central Nervous System (CNS) is affected by AD. AD begins in the Entorhinal Cortex of the brain (Nia.nih.gov) The Entorhinal

Positron-Emission Tomography (PET) scan is a medical test that allows doctors to check the human body for any diseases. Doctors use the PET scan for many things, the main uses are checking for cancer, heart-related (Cardiovascular) diseases and brain (neurological) diseases. It also allows doctors to check organs and tissues and to see how they are working. PET scanners are a way of tracking diseases, using radioactive tracking that is injected into a vein in your arm, that is then absorbed by your organs and tissues.

A PET scan does not only look at the size and shape of the brain, is also looks at and assesses the function. Meaning it tells you how the brain is working. There is little doubt that as we age structural changes happen in our brain. A way to test for this is to use neuroimaging techniques while performing certain tasks (i.e. recall or reading of names, etc. to test memory).

There are different variations of AD, a rapid onset and late onset, both having the same ending result of the destruction of neurons in the brain. AD appears as inflammation in the brain that can affect memory, speech and motor skills. Unfortunately, the only way of diagnosing AD is through post-modem evaluation. Dementia and AD are tracked by certain memory tests scores and then ranked to determine the disease scale; however, this does not act as a diagnosing factor. From an anatomy standpoint, a blood brain barrier surrounds and protects our brain, which in some theories, is very close to the