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Objective Using data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) population, we examined (1) cross-sectional relationships between amyloid deposition, hypometabolism, and cognition, and (2) associations between amyloid and hypometabolism measurements and longitudinal cognitive measurements. Methods We examined associations between mean cortical florbetapir uptake, mean 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) within a set of predefined regions, and Alzhiemer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog) performance in 426 ADNI participants (126 normal, 162 early mild cognitive impairment [EMCI], 85 late MCI [LMCI], 53 Alzheimer disease [AD] patients). For a subset of these (76 normal, 81 LMCI) we determined whether florbetapir and FDG-PET were associated with retrospective decline in longitudinal ADAS-cog measurements. Results Twenty-nine percent of normal subjects, 43% of EMCI patients, 62% of LMCI patients, and 77% of AD patients were categorized as florbetapir positive. Florbetapir was negatively associated with concurrent FDG and ADAS-cog in both MCI groups. In longitudinal analyses, florbetapir-positive subjects in both normal and LMCI groups had greater ongoing ADAS-cog decline than those who were florbetapir negative. However, in normal subjects, florbetapir positivity was associated with greater ADAS-cog decline than FDG, whereas in LMCI, FDG positivity was associated with greater decline than florbetapir. Interpretation Although both hypometabolism and β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition are detectable in normal subjects and all diagnostic groups, Aβ showed greater associations with cognitive decline in normal participants. In view of the minimal cognitive deterioration overall in this group, this suggests that amyloid deposition has an early and subclinical impact on cognition that precedes metabolic changes. At moderate and later stages of disease (LMCI/AD), hypometabolism becomes more pronounced and more closely linked to ongoing cognitive decline.

Introduction An [18F] labeled PET amyloid (Aβ) imaging agent could facilitate clinical evaluation of late-life cognitive impairment by providing an objective measure for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. Here we present the results of the first clinical trial with [18F]AV-45 (Florbetapir F 18). Methods An open-label, multicenter, brain imaging, metabolism and safety study of [18F]AV-45 was performed on 16 patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD: MMSE 19.3 +/− 3.1; Age 75.8 +/− 9.2) and 16 cognitively healthy controls (HC: MMSE 29.8 +/− 0.45; Age 72.5 +/− 11.6 ). Dynamic PET imaging was performed over a period of approximately 90 minutes following 10 mCi injection of the tracer. Standard uptake values (SUV) and cortical to cerebellum SUV ratios (SUVR) were calculated. A simplified reference tissue method was used to generate distribution volume ratio (DVR) parametric maps in a subset of subjects Results Valid PET imaging data were available for 11 AD and 15 HC subjects [18F]AV-45 accumulated in cortical regions expected to be high in amyloid deposition (e.g., precuneus, frontal and temporal cortex) of AD patients; minimal accumulation of tracer was seen in cortical regions of HC subjects. The cortical to cerebellar SUVR values in AD patients showed continual substantial increases through 30 minutes post-administration, reaching a plateau within 50 minutes. The 10 minute period from 50–60 minutes post administration was taken as a representative sample for further analysis. The cortical average SUVR for this period was 1.67 +/− 0.175 for patients with AD vs. 1.25 +/− 0.177 for HC subjects. Spatially normalized DVRs generated from PET dynamic scans were highly correlated with SUVR (r= 0.58–0.88, p<0.005) and were significantly greater for AD patients than for HC subjects in cortical regions, but not in subcortical white matter or cerebellar regions. There were no clinically significant changes in vital signs, ECG or laboratory values. Conclusions [18F]AV-45 was well tolerated and PET imaging showed significant discrimination between AD patients and HC subjects using either a parametric reference region method (DVR) or a simplified SUVR calculated from 10 minutes of scanning 50–60 minutes after [18F]AV-45 administration.

SEE THAL AND VANDENBERGHE DOI101093/BRAIN/AWW057 FOR A SCIENTIFIC COMMENTARY ON THIS ARTICLE: Post-mortem Braak staging of neurofibrillary tau tangle topographical distribution is one of the core neuropathological criteria for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The recent development of positron emission tomography tracers targeting neurofibrillary tangles has enabled the distribution of tau pathology to be imaged in living subjects. Methods for extraction of classic Braak staging from in vivo imaging of neurofibrillary tau tangles have not yet been explored. Standardized uptake value ratio images were calculated from 80-100 minute (18)F-AV-1451 (also known as T807) positron emission tomography scans obtained from n = 14 young reference subjects (age 21-39 years, Mini-Mental State Examination 29-30) and n = 173 older test subjects (age 50-95 years) comprising amyloid negative cognitively normal (n = 42), clinically-diagnosed mild cognitive impairment (amyloid positive, n = 47, and amyloid negative, n = 40) and Alzheimer's disease (amyloid positive, n = 28, and amyloid negative, n = 16). We defined seven regions of interest in anterior temporal lobe and occipital lobe sections corresponding closely to those used as decision points in Braak staging. An algorithm based on the Braak histological staging procedure was applied to estimate Braak stages directly from the region of interest profiles in each subject. Quantitative region-based analysis of (18)F-AV-1451 images yielded region of interest and voxel level profiles that mirrored key features of neuropathological tau progression including profiles consistent with Braak stages 0 through VI. A simple set of decision rules enabled plausible Braak stages corresponding to stereotypical progression patterns to be objectively estimated in 149 (86%) of test subjects. An additional 12 (7%) subjects presented with predefined variant profiles (relative sparing of the hippocampus and/or occipital lobe). The estimated Braak stage was significantly associated with amyloid status, diagnostic category and measures of global cognition. In vivo (18)F-AV-1451 positron emission tomography images across the Alzheimer's disease spectrum could be classified into patterns similar to those prescribed by Braak neuropathological staging of tau pathology.

11C-Pittsburgh compound B (11C-PiB) and 18F-florbetapir amyloid-β (Aβ) PET radioligands have had a substantial impact on Alzheimer disease research. Although there is evidence that both radioligands bind to fibrillar Aβ in the brain, direct comparisons in the same individuals have not been reported. Here, we evaluated PiB and florbetapir in a retrospective convenience sample of cognitively normal older controls, patients with mild cognitive impairment, and patients with Alzheimer disease from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Methods From the ADNI database, 32 participants were identified who had undergone at least 1 PiB study and subsequently underwent a florbetapir study approximately 1.5 y after the last PiB study. Cortical PiB and florbetapir retention was quantified using several different methods to determine the effect of preprocessing factors (such as smoothing and reference region selection) and image processing pipelines. Results There was a strong association between PiB and florbetapir cortical retention ratios (Spearman ρ = 0.86–0.95), and these were slightly lower than cortical retention ratios for consecutive PiB scans (Spearman ρ = 0.96–0.98) made approximately 1.1 y apart. Cortical retention ratios for Aβ-positive subjects tended to be higher for PiB than for florbetapir images, yielding slopes for linear regression of florbetapir against PiB of 0.59–0.64. Associations between consecutive PiB scans and between PiB and florbetapir scans remained strong, regardless of processing methods such as smoothing, spatial normalization to a PET template, and use of reference regions. The PiB–florbetapir association was used to interconvert cutoffs for Aβ positivity and negativity between the 2 radioligands, and these cutoffs were highly consistent in their assignment of Aβ status. Conclusion PiB and florbetapir retention ratios were strongly associated in the same individuals, and this relationship was consistent across several data analysis methods, despite scan–rescan intervals of more than a year. Cutoff thresholds for determining positive or negative Aβ status can be reliably transformed from PiB to florbetapir units or vice versa using a population scanned with both radioligands.