Dynamic changes in PET amyloid and FDG imaging at different stages of Alzheimer's disease

In this study 5 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 9 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients underwent respectively 3- and 5-year follow-up positron emission tomography (PET) studies with N-methyl [11C] 2-(4-methylaminophenyl)-6-hydroxy-benzothiazole (11C-PIB) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) to understand the time courses in AD disease processes. Significant increase in PIB retention as well as decrease in regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (rCMRglc) was observed at group level in the MCI patients while no significant change was observed in cognitive function. At group level the AD patients showed unchanged high PIB retention at 5-year follow-up compared with baseline. At the individual level, increased, stable, and decreased PIB retention were observed while disease progression was reflected in significant decrease in rCMRglc and cognition. In conclusion, after a long-term follow-up with PET, we observed an increase in fibrillar amyloid load in MCI patients followed by more stable level in clinical AD patients. The rCMRglc starts to decline in MCI patients and became more pronounced in clinical stage which related to continuous decline in cognition.