Douglas Hägerström, Sweden
Skåne University Hospital Clinical NeurophysiologyAuthor Of 1 Presentation
CLINICAL ADDED VALUE OF 18F-RO948 (TAU) PET
Abstract
Aims
To study the added value of 18F-RO948-PET for clinical diagnosis of patients with memory concerns in a Memory Clinic setting.
Methods
652 patients referred to the Memory Clinic, Skåne University Hospital were assessed according to standard clinical protocol with brain imaging, cognitive testing, blood tests and lumbar puncture (including Ab42, Ab42/Ab40-ratio, total-Tau, pTau181). Based on this investigation clinicians were asked to state a diagnosis and how certain they were on the etiology (scale 0-10). Participants then underwent 18F-RO948 PET. PET images were assessed visually and categorized into: A - normal, B - mild temporal Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)-type pathology, C – widespread AD-type pattern, D – inconclusive scan. With the information from the visual read the clinicians were again asked to state diagnosis and certainty.
Results
Patients got a pre-scan diagnosis (301 AD; 80 Vascular dementia; 38 FTD; 36 DLB; 94 non-progressive causes of cognitive impairment; 77 other causes (PD, PSP etc) and 26 not specified). Overall, in AD the certainty of etiology increased from 7.69 to 8.13 (Figure 1; p<0.0001) post-scan. The increase in etiological certainty was as expected larger when the visual read was positive (n=236, 7.98 vs 8.86; p<0.0001) and decreased with a negative or inconclusive read (6.47 vs 5.32; p = 0.02). In the non-AD group, the diagnostic certainty was lower, but increased with the additional data (6.40 vs 6.78; p=0.004).
Conclusions
Our results indicate a clear added value of tau PET even on top of an extensive etiological work-up in a specialized Memory Clinic setting.