Editors' note: In vivo [ 18 F]-AV-1451 tau-PET imaging in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Abstract

Using a case-control design, Day et al. compared [18F]-AV-1451 PET imaging findings between 5 patients with autopsy-proven sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and either healthy controls or patients with mild Alzheimer disease (AD). The investigators found no difference in uptake patterns between cognitively normal patients and those with CJD; however, the uptake value ratios were higher in patients with mild AD—suggesting that this advanced imaging modality may be specific for patients with this particular tau neuropathology. In their comment, Drs. Yuan and Hu assert that the difference in [18F]-AV-1451 retention may be explained by the unique paired-helical tau configuration in AD. While this may be a useful imaging biomarker for AD, additional studies are called upon to determine how [18F]-AV-1451 PET neuroimaging—as well as fluorodeoxyglucose PET and diffusion-weighted MRI—may assist in the differentiation of sporadic CJD from other forms of dementia. Using a case-control design, Day et al. compared [18F]-AV-1451 PET imaging findings between 5 patients with autopsy-proven sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and either healthy controls or patients with mild Alzheimer disease (AD). The investigators found no difference in uptake patterns between cognitively normal patients and those with CJD; however, the uptake value ratios were higher in patients with mild AD—suggesting that this advanced imaging modality may be specific for patients with this particular tau neuropathology.