Imaging of a Living Brain Can Help Clearly Differentiate Between Two Types of Dementia

A new study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry used single-photon emission computed tomography plus the intravenous radioactive compound 123IFP-CIT to distinguish dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) from Alzheimer's disease (AD), reports Medical Xpress . We know that 123IFP-CIT binds to dopamine transporters on the membrane of dopamine-producing neurons, which are concentrated in the striatum. These neurons are depleted in DLB but not in AD, and autopsies of study subjects confirmed that the imaging protocol not only differentiates DLB from AD, but also DLB from Parkinson's disease. "Our findings may have a significant impact both for patients and caregivers," said Francisco Oliveira at the Champalimaud Center for the Unknown. "In addition, the selection of patients for clinical trials can now be done with more accurate biomarkers."