Is in vivo amyloid distribution asymmetric in primary progressive aphasia?

Abstract

We aimed to determine whether (18) F-florbetapir amyloid positron emission tomography imaging shows a clinically concordant, left-hemisphere-dominant pattern of deposition in primary progressive aphasia (PPA). Elevated cortical amyloid (Aβ(+) ) was found in 19 of 32 PPA patients. Hemispheric laterality of amyloid burden was compared between Aβ(+) PPA and an Aβ(+) amnestic dementia groups (n = 22). The parietal region showed significantly greater left lateralized amyloid uptake in the PPA group than the amnestic group (p < 0.007), consistent with the left lateralized pattern of neurodegeneration in PPA. These results suggest that the cortical distribution of amyloid may have a greater clinical concordance than previously reported.