Amyloid PET Scan for Alzheimer’s Disease
The Amyvid scan is an important advancement in the detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Amyvid (Florbetapir F 18 Injection) is a drug for Positron Emission Tomography
Amyloid PET Scan for Alzheimer’s Disease
The Amyvid scan is an important advancement in the detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Amyvid (Florbetapir F 18 Injection) is a drug for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging of the brain in adults who are being evaluated for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other causes of cognitive decline. Cognitive decline is a condition where the capability to think and form clear, coherent thoughts and choices has decreased. AD is one form of dementia that gradually worsens over time. It affects memory, thinking, and behavior.
Amyvid is the first-and-only FDA-approved diagnostic PET tracer available. “Many Americans undergo evaluations to try to determine the cause for a decline in cognitive functioning,” says Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Until now, the brain content of β-amyloid neuritic plaques could only be determined with a brain biopsy or examination of the brain at autopsy. This imaging agent is one tool to help physicians in the assessment of their patients by serving as an adjunct to other diagnostic evaluations.”
After receiving an intravenous injection, Amyvid (a radioactive drug) binds to brain β-amyloid. β-amyloid protein is a type of protein that forms in patients with AD and some other cognitive disorders. Neuritic plaques, also called amyloid plaques, are abnormal clumps of brain cells mixed with β-amyloid protein. This radioactive signal can then be detected with a PET scanner which produces images of the plaque in the brain. A positive Amyvid scan indicates moderate to frequent plaques. However, a positive Amyvid scan does not establish a diagnosis of AD because, although patients with AD always have an increased brain content of plaque, the test also may be positive in patients with other types of neurologic conditions, as well as in older people with normal cognition.
A negative Amyvid scan indicates light to no neuritic plaques; a negative scan outcome lessens the likelihood that a patient’s cognitive impairment is due to AD. Amyvid is used in addition to other diagnostic evaluations.
The Amyvid scan is quick – the patient is in and out within an hour:
» No fasting required.
» No change to your daily medications – take all your medications as usual.
» After the injection, there is a 30-50 minute uptake time to allow the medication to bind in the brain.
» The actual scan only takes about 10 minutes.
PET/CT of Las Colinas offers Competitive Cash Pricing and also has Special Research and Study Pricing available.
Please feel free to contact us for more information or to schedule an Amyvid scan.