Pittsburgh Compound B Uptake Research Articles

Existing Pittsburgh Compound-B positron emission tomography thresholds are too high: statistical and pathological evaluation

Amyloid-β, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, begins accumulating up to two decades before the onset of dementia, and can be detected in vivo applying amyloid-β positron emission tomography tracers such as carbon-11-labelled Pittsburgh compound-B. A variety of thresholds have been applied in the literature to define Pittsburgh compound-B positron emission tomography positivity, but the ability of these thresholds to detect early amyloid-β deposition is unknown, and validation studies comparing Pittsburgh compound-B thresholds to post-mortem amyloid burden are lacking. In this study we first derived thresholds for amyloid positron emission tomography positivity using Pittsburgh compound-B positron emission tomography in 154 cognitively normal older adults with four complementary approaches: (i) reference values from a young control group aged between 20 and 30 years; (ii) a Gaussian mixture model that assigned each subject a probability of being amyloid-β-positive or amyloid-β-negative based on Pittsburgh compound-B index uptake; (iii) a k-means cluster approach that clustered subjects into amyloid-β-positive or amyloid-β-negative based on Pittsburgh compound-B uptake in different brain regions (features); and (iv) an iterative voxel-based analysis that further explored the spatial pattern of early amyloid-β positron emission tomography signal. Next, we tested the sensitivity and specificity of the derived thresholds in 50 individuals who underwent Pittsburgh compound-B positron emission tomography during life and brain autopsy (mean time positron emission tomography to autopsy 3.1 ± 1.8 years). Amyloid at autopsy was classified using Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) criteria, unadjusted for age. The analytic approaches yielded low thresholds (standard uptake value ratiolow = 1.21, distribution volume ratiolow = 1.08) that represent the earliest detectable Pittsburgh compound-B signal, as well as high thresholds (standard uptake value ratiohigh = 1.40, distribution volume ratiohigh = 1.20) that are more conservative in defining Pittsburgh compound-B positron emission tomography positivity. In voxel-wise contrasts, elevated Pittsburgh compound-B retention was first noted in the medial frontal cortex, then the precuneus, lateral frontal and parietal lobes, and finally the lateral temporal lobe. When compared to post-mortem amyloid burden, low proposed thresholds were more sensitive than high thresholds (sensitivities: distribution volume ratiolow 81.0%, standard uptake value ratiolow 83.3%; distribution volume ratiohigh 61.9%, standard uptake value ratiohigh 62.5%) for CERAD moderate-to-frequent neuritic plaques, with similar specificity (distribution volume ratiolow 95.8%; standard uptake value ratiolow, distribution volume ratiohigh and standard uptake value ratiohigh 100.0%). A receiver operator characteristic analysis identified optimal distribution volume ratio (1.06) and standard uptake value ratio (1.20) thresholds that were nearly identical to the a priori distribution volume ratiolow and standard uptake value ratiolow. In summary, we found that frequently applied thresholds for Pittsburgh compound-B positivity (typically at or above distribution volume ratiohigh and standard uptake value ratiohigh) are overly stringent in defining amyloid positivity. Lower thresholds in this study resulted in higher sensitivity while not compromising specificity.

Abstract 44: Associations of Atrial Fibrillation, Neuroimaging Measures of Cerebrovascular Disease and Alzheimer’S Disease-related Pathology, and Cognitive Impairment

The objective of this study was to investigate the cross-sectional associations of atrial fibrillation with neuroimaging measures of cerebrovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related pathology, and their interaction with cognitive impairment. MRI scans of non-demented individuals (n=1044) from the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging were analyzed for infarctions, total grey matter, hippocampal and white matter hyperintensity volumes. A subset of 496 individuals underwent FDG and C-11 Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) PET scans. We assessed the associations of atrial fibrillation with i) categorical MRI measures (cortical and subcortical infarctions) using multivariable logistic regression models, and with ii) continuous MRI measures ( hippocampal, total grey matter, and white matter hyperintensity volumes) and FDG-PET and PiB-PET measures using multivariable linear regression models, and adjusting for confounders. Among participants who underwent MRI (median age, 77.8, 51.6% male), 13.5% had atrial fibrillation. Presence of atrial fibrillation was associated with subcortical infarctions (odds ratio [OR], 1.83; p=0.002), cortical infarctions (OR, 1.91; p=0.03), total grey matter volume (Beta [β], -.025, p<.0001) after controlling for age, education, gender, APOE e4 carrier status, coronary artery disease, diabetes, history of clinical stroke, and hypertension. However, atrial fibrillation was not associated with white matter hyperintensity volume, hippocampal volume, Alzheimer’s pattern of FDG hypometabolism or PiB uptake. There was a significant interaction of cortical infarction (p for interaction=0.004) and subcortical infarction (p for interaction =0.015) with atrial fibrillation with regards to odds of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Using subjects with no atrial fibrillation and no infarction as the reference, the OR (95% confidence intervals [CI]) for MCI was 2.98 (1.66, 5.35;p = 0.0002) among participants with atrial fibrillation and any infarction, 0.69 (0.36, 1.33;p= 0.27) for atrial fibrillation and no infarction, and 1.50 (0.96, 2.32;p = 0.07) for no atrial fibrillation and any infarction. These data highlight that atrial fibrillation is associated with MCI in the presence of infarctions.

Insulin resistance predicts brain amyloid deposition in late middle-aged adults

BackgroundInsulin resistance (IR) increases Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk. IR is related to greater amyloid burden post-mortem and increased deposition within areas affected by early AD. No studies have examined if IR is associated with an in vivo index of amyloid in the human brain in late middle-aged participants at risk for AD. MethodsAsymptomatic, late middle-aged adults (N = 186) from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention underwent [C-11]Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) positron emission tomography. The cross-sectional design tested the interaction between insulin resistance and glycemic status on PiB distribution volume ratio in three regions of interest (frontal, parietal, and temporal). ResultsIn participants with normoglycemia but not hyperglycemia, higher insulin resistance corresponded to higher PiB uptake in frontal and temporal areas, reflecting increased amyloid deposition. ConclusionsThis is the first human study to demonstrate that insulin resistance may contribute to amyloid deposition in brain regions affected by AD.

Greater medial temporal hypometabolism and lower cortical amyloid burden in ApoE4-positive AD patients

BackgroundApolipoprotein E ɛ4 (ApoE4) has been associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyloid deposition and hypometabolism. ApoE4 is less prevalent in non-amnestic AD variants suggesting a direct...

Alzheimer's Disease Neurodegenerative Biomarkers Are Associated with Decreased Cognitive Function but Not β-Amyloid in Cognitively Normal Older Individuals

β-Amyloid (Aβ) plaque deposition and neurodegeneration within temporoparietal and hippocampal regions may indicate increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study examined relationships between AD biomarkers of Aβ and neurodegeneration as well as cognitive performance in cognitively normal older individuals. Aβ burden was quantified in 72 normal older human subjects from the Berkeley Aging Cohort (BAC) using [(11)C] Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) positron emission tomography. In the same individuals, we measured hippocampal volume, as well as glucose metabolism and cortical thickness, which were extracted from a template of cortical AD-affected regions. The three functional and structural biomarkers were merged into a highly AD-sensitive multimodality biomarker reflecting neural integrity. In the normal older individuals, there was no association between elevated PIB uptake and either the single-modality or the multimodality neurodegenerative biomarkers. Lower neural integrity within the AD-affected regions and a control area (the visual cortex) was related to lower scores on memory and executive function tests; the same association was not found with PIB retention. The relationship between cognition and the multimodality AD biomarker was stronger in individuals with the highest PIB uptake. The findings indicate that neurodegeneration occurs within AD regions regardless of Aβ deposition and accounts for worse cognition in cognitively normal older people. The impact of neural integrity on cognitive functions is, however, enhanced in the presence of high Aβ burden for brain regions that are most affected in AD.

Positron emission tomography with [18F]flutemetamol and [11C]PiB for in vivo detection of cerebral cortical amyloid in normal pressure hydrocephalus patients

This study determined the correlation between uptake of the amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agent [(18) F]flutemetamol and amyloid-β measured by immunohistochemical and histochemical staining in a frontal cortical biopsy. Fifteen patients with possible normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) and previous brain biopsy obtained during intracranial pressure monitoring underwent [18F]flutemetamol PET. Seven of these patients also underwent [11C] Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) PET. [18F]Flutemetamol and [11C]PiB uptake was quantified using standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) with the cerebellar cortex as a reference region. Tissue amyloid-β was evaluated using the monoclonal antibody 4G8, Thioflavin-S and Bielschowsky silver stain. [18F]Flutemetamol and [11C]PiB SUVRs correlated with biopsy specimen amyloid-β levels contralateral (r = 0.86, P < 0.0001; r = 0.96, P = 0.0008) and ipsilateral (r = 0.82, P = 0.0002; r = 0.87, P = 0.01) to the biopsy site. Association between cortical composite [(18) F]flutemetamol SUVRs and [11C]PiB SUVRs was highly significant (r = 0.97, P = 0.0003). [18F]Flutemetamol detects brain amyloid-β in vivo with moderate to high sensitivity and high specificity. This agent, therefore, represents a valuable new tool to study and verify the presence of amyloid-β pathology, both in patients with possible NPH and among the wider population.

Comparison of MRI based and PET template based approaches in the quantitative analysis of amyloid imaging with PIB-PET

[(11)C]Pittsburgh compound-B (PIB) has been the most widely used positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agent for brain amyloid. Several longitudinal studies evaluating the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and numerous therapeutic intervention studies are underway using [(11)C]PIB PET as an AD biomarker. Quantitative analysis of [(11)C]PIB data requires the definition of regional volumes of interest. This investigation systematically compared two data analysis routes both using a probabilistic brain atlas with 11 bilateral regions. Route 1 used individually segmented structural magnetic resonance images (MRI) for each subject while Route 2 used a standardised [(11)C]PIB PET template. A total of 54 subjects, 20 with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD), 14 with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and 20 age-matched healthy controls, were scanned at two imaging centres either in London (UK) or in Turku (Finland). For all subjects structural volumetric MRI and [(11)C]PIB PET scans were acquired. Target-to-cerebellum ratios 40 min to 60 min post injection were used as outcome measures. Regional read outs for grey matter target regions were generated for both routes. Based on a composite neocortical, frontal, posterior cingulate, combined posterior cingulate and frontal cortical regions, scans were categorised into either 'PIB negative' (PIB-) or 'PIB positive' (PIB+) using previously reported cut-off target-to-cerebellar ratios of 1.41, 1.5 and 1.6, respectively. Target-to-cerebellum ratios were greater when defined with a [(11)C]PIB PET template than with individual MRIs for all cortical regions regardless of diagnosis. This difference was highly significant for controls (p<0.001, paired samples t-test), less significant for MCIs and borderline for ADs. Assignment of subjects to raised or normal categories was the same with both routes with a 1.6 cut-off while with lower cut off using frontal cortex, and combined frontal cortex and posterior cingulate demonstrated similar results, while posterior cingulate alone demonstrated significantly higher proportion of controls as amyloid positive by Route 2. Definition of cortical grey matter regions is more accurate when individually segmented MRIs (Route 1) were used rather than a population-based PET template (Route 2). The impact of this difference depends on the grey-to-white matter contrast in the PET images; specifically seen in healthy controls with high white matter and low grey matter uptake. When classifying AD, MCI and control subjects as normal or abnormal using large cortical regions; discordance was found between the MRI and template approach for those few subjects who presented with cortex-to-cerebellum ratios very close to the pre-assigned cut-off. However, posterior cingulate alone demonstrated significant discordance in healthy controls using template based approach. This study, therefore, demonstrates that the use of a [(11)C]PIB PET template (Route 2) is adequate for clinical diagnostic purposes, while MRI based analysis (Route 1) remains more appropriate for clinical research.

Differential effect of APOE genotype on amyloid load and glucose metabolism in AD dementia

To examine the relationships between apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 dose and in vivo distributions of both fibrillary amyloid burden and glucose metabolism in the same Alzheimer disease dementia patients, selected for abnormal amyloid imaging. Twenty-two APOE ε4 negative, 40 heterozygous, and 22 homozygous Alzheimer disease dementia patients underwent dynamic (90 minutes) [(11)C]Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) and static [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET scans. Parametric nondisplaceable binding potential images of [(11)C]PIB and standardized uptake value ratio images of [(18)F]FDG were generated using cerebellar gray matter as reference tissue. Frontal, parietal, temporal, posterior cingulate, and occipital cortices were selected as regions of interest. Multivariate general linear models with adjustment for age, sex, and Mini-Mental State Examination showed main effects of APOE ε4 dose on distributions of both [(11)C]PIB (p for trend <0.05) and [(18)F]FDG (p for trend <0.01). More specifically, a univariate general linear model of individual regions showed increased [(11)C]PIB binding in frontal cortex of APOE ε4 noncarriers compared with APOE ε4 carriers (p < 0.05). In contrast, APOE ε4 carriers had reduced [(18)F]FDG uptake in occipital cortex (p < 0.05) and a borderline significant effect in posterior cingulate (p = 0.07) in a dose-dependent manner. We found a reversed APOE ε4 dose effect for amyloid deposition in the frontal lobe, whereas APOE ε4 carriership was associated with more profound metabolic impairment in posterior parts of the cortex. These findings suggest that APOE genotype has a differential effect on the distribution of amyloid plaques and glucose metabolism. This may have important implications for emerging therapies that aim to directly intervene in the disease process.

IC‐P‐113: Microbleeds in logopenic progressive aphasia

Microbleeds (MBs) have been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). They occur in 12-33% of patients with typical Alzheimer's dementia, although it is unknown whether they also occur in subjects with logopenic progressive aphasia (LPA); an atypical presentation of AD. We aimed to determine whether MBs occur in subjects with LPA, and to investigate associations between MBs and cognition, white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and β-amyloid deposition. We prospectively recruited nine subjects that met recent clinical criteria for LPA. All subjects underwent a speech and language assessment, neurological assessment, a standardized MRI protocol at 3T, including gradient-recalled echo T2*-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI, and Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB)-PET imaging. All MBs were identified on manual review by an experienced neuroradiologist (CRJ) and assigned a regional location using an atlas. Total and regional WMH burden was measured using an automated intensity based algorithm and a white matter parcellation atlas. PiB uptake was normalized to the cerebellum, and global and regional PiB uptake ratios were calculated. Three of the LPA subjects (33%) had MBs (Figure); two subjects had multiple MBs and one subject had just one MB. Microbleeds most commonly occurred in the frontal lobes, but were also present in temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. Compared to the six subjects without MBs, the subjects with MBs were relatively older at onset (71 versus 65 years), more functionally impaired and had a greater total burden of WMH. All nine LPA subjects were PiB-positive, yet the global cortical PiB ratios were the highest in the three subjects with MBs. The regional distribution of MBs did not match the regional distribution of WMH or β-amyloid deposition. Gradient-recalled echo (GRE) T2∗-weighted MRI showing microbleeds in each three LPA subjects with microbleeds.

Subjective Cognition and Amyloid Deposition Imaging

To study the relationship between subjective cognition and the neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer disease (AD), amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition, using carbon 11-labeled Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) positron emission tomography in normal elderly individuals. Cross-sectional analysis. Forty-eight cognitively normal elderly subjects (11 with high PiB uptake and 28 with low PiB uptake) were included. All underwent clinical and neuropsychological evaluations, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography. Berkeley Aging Cohort Study. Relationship between PiB uptake and subjective cognition measures. Subjects with high PiB uptake showed significantly lower performance than those with low PiB uptake on an episodic memory measure and were less confident about their general memory abilities when required to evaluate themselves relative to other people of the same age. High and low PiB uptake groups did not differ on the accuracy of their cognitive self-reports compared with objective cognitive performance. General memory self-reports from the whole group were significantly correlated with regional PiB uptake in the right medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex and in the right precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex. Reduced confidence about memory abilities was associated with greater PiB uptake in these brain regions. All results were independent of demographic variables and depressive affects. A decrease of self-confidence about memory abilities in cognitively normal elderly subjects may be related to the neuropathological hallmark of AD measured with PiB-positron emission tomography. Subjective cognitive impairment may represent a very early clinical manifestation of AD.

Incidental Finding of Meningioma on C11-PIB PET

As a healthy volunteer for amyloid imaging study, a 83-year-old woman with no history of neurologic or psychiatric illness underwent carbon 11-labeled Pittsburgh compound-B (PIB) PET, which showed focal increased PIB binding in the right anterior temporal region. This focal PIB uptake turned out to be a mass lesion on MRI, which was consistent with a benign meningioma. This is the first case report on the incidentally found intracranial meningioma by PIB PET scan, highlighting the excellent sensitivity of PIB radiotracer in detecting brain amyloid deposition.

Amyloid pathway-based candidate gene analysis of [11C]PiB-PET in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort

Amyloid imaging with [11 C]Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB) provides in vivo data on plaque deposition in those with, or at risk for, Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We performed a gene-based association analysis of 15 quality-controlled amyloid-pathway associated candidate genes in 103 Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative participants. The mean normalized PiB uptake value across four brain regions known to have amyloid deposition in AD was used as a quantitative phenotype. The minor allele of an intronic SNP within DHCR24 was identified and associated with a lower average PiB uptake. Further investigation at whole-brain voxel-wise level indicated that non-carriers of the minor allele had higher PiB uptake in frontal regions compared to carriers. DHCR24 has been previously shown to confer resistance against beta-amyloid and oxidative stress-induced apoptosis, thus our findings support a neuroprotective role. Pathway-based genetic analysis of targeted molecular imaging phenotypes appears promising to help elucidate disease pathophysiology and identify potential therapeutic targets.

Similar amyloid-β burden in posterior cortical atrophy and Alzheimer's disease

While the clinical presentation of posterior cortical atrophy is clearly distinct from typical Alzheimer's disease, neuropathological studies have suggested that most patients with posterior cortical atrophy have Alzheimer's disease with an atypical visual presentation. We analysed in vivo pathophysiological markers of Alzheimer's disease such as cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers and positron emission tomography imaging with ¹¹C-labelled Pittsburgh compound-B in posterior cortical atrophy to determine whether biochemical profile and fibrillar amyloid-β burden topography are associated with the clinical presentation. Nine patients with posterior cortical atrophy and nine with typical Alzheimer's disease individually matched for age, duration and severity of the disease and 10 cognitively normal age-matched controls were included. ¹¹C-labelled Pittsburgh compound-B images were analysed both using volumes of interest and on a voxel-wise basis using statistical parametric mapping, taking into account the individual regional cortical atrophy. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers did not differ between posterior cortical atrophy and patients with Alzheimer's disease. Compared with normal controls, both posterior cortical atrophy and Alzheimer's disease groups showed increased ¹¹C-labelled Pittsburgh compound-B uptake. No significant difference was found in regional or global ¹¹C-labelled Pittsburgh compound-B binding between posterior cortical atrophy and Alzheimer's disease groups with both volumes of interest and voxel-wise basis using statistical parametric mapping methods. Our findings demonstrate that cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers and positron emission tomography imaging with ¹¹C-labelled Pittsburgh compound-B may be useful in identifying an atypical visual form of Alzheimer's disease. The similar topography of fibrillar amyloid-β deposition between typical Alzheimer's disease and posterior cortical atrophy groups suggests that, although amyloid-β accumulation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, other factors such as neurofibrillary tangles may contribute to the different clinical features observed in posterior cortical atrophy.

Distinct clinical and metabolic deficits in PCA and AD are not related to amyloid distribution

Patients with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) often have Alzheimer disease (AD) at autopsy, yet are cognitively and anatomically distinct from patients with clinical AD. We sought to compare the distribution of β-amyloid and glucose metabolism in PCA and AD in vivo using Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) and FDG-PET. Patients with PCA (n = 12, age 57.5 ± 7.4, Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] 22.2 ± 5.1), AD (n = 14, age 58.8 ± 9.6, MMSE 23.8 ± 6.7), and cognitively normal controls (NC, n = 30, age 73.6 ± 6.4) underwent PiB and FDG-PET. Group differences in PiB distribution volume ratios (DVR, cerebellar reference) and FDG uptake (pons-averaged) were assessed on a voxel-wise basis and by comparing binding in regions of interest (ROIs). Compared to NC, both patients with AD and patients with PCA showed diffuse PiB uptake throughout frontal, temporoparietal, and occipital cortex (p < 0.0001). There were no regional differences in PiB binding between PCA and AD even after correcting for atrophy. FDG patterns in PCA and AD were distinct: while both groups showed hypometabolism compared to NC in temporoparietal cortex and precuneus/posterior cingulate, patients with PCA further showed hypometabolism in inferior occipitotemporal cortex compared to both NC and patients with AD (p < 0.05). Patients with AD did not show areas of relative hypometabolism compared to PCA. Fibrillar amyloid deposition in PCA is diffuse and similar to AD, while glucose hypometabolism extends more posteriorly into occipital cortex. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms of selective network degeneration in focal variants of AD.

Amyloid PET imaging in patients with mild cognitive impairment

Patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have greater risk of conversion to Alzheimer disease (AD). Increased brain amyloid burden in AD and MCI has been demonstrated with PET using [(11)C] Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) as a tracer. To evaluate change in β-amyloid deposition in with MCI during 2-year follow-up. Patients with MCI and controls were studied with [(11)C] PiB PET, MRI, and neuropsychometry at baseline and these investigations were repeated in patients with MCI after follow-up. Those patients with MCI converting to AD during follow-up had greater [(11)C] PiB retention in the posterior cingulate (p=0.020), in the lateral frontal cortex (p=0.006), in the temporal cortex (p=0.022), in the putamen (p=0.041), and in the caudate nucleus (p=0.025) as compared to nonconverters. In converters, there was no significant change in [(11)C] PiB uptake, whereas an increase was seen as compared to baseline in nonconverters in the anterior and posterior cingulate, temporal and parietal cortices, and putamen. Hippocampal atrophy was greater in converters at baseline than in nonconverters, but increased significantly in both groups during follow-up. Hippocampal atrophy and amyloid deposition seem to dissociate during the evolution of MCI, the atrophy increasing clearly and [(11)C] PiB retention changing modestly when conversion to AD occurs. Longer follow-up is needed to determine whether nonconverters would convert to AD later, which would suggest accelerated [(11)C] PiB retention preceding clinical conversion.

Resting‐State Glucose Metabolism Level Is Associated with the Regional Pattern of Amyloid Pathology in Alzheimer′s Disease

It has been suggested that glucose metabolism within the brain's default network is directly associated with—and may even cause—the amyloid pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we performed 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) and [11C]-labeled Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB) positron emission tomography (PET) on cognitively normal elderly subjects and on AD patients and conducted quantitative regional analysis of FDG- and PIB-PET images using an automated region of interest technique. We confirmed that resting glucose metabolism within the posterior components of the brain's default network is high in normal elderly subjects and low in AD patients, which is partially in agreement with the regional pattern of PIB uptake within the default network of AD patients. However, in several regions outside the default network, glucose metabolism was high in normal elderly subjects but was not depressed in AD patients, who exhibited significantly increased PIB uptakes in these regions. In contrast, the level of resting glucose metabolism in the default network and in regions outside the default network in normal elderly subjects was significantly correlated with the level of regional PIB uptake in AD patients. These results are discussed with experimental evidence suggesting that beta amyloid production and amyloid precursor protein regulation are dependent on neuronal activity.

Ante mortem amyloid imaging and β-amyloid pathology in a case with dementia with Lewy bodies

The association between ante mortem [11C]-Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) retention and β-amyloid (Aβ) load, Lewy body (LB) and neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) densities were investigated in a pathologically confirmed case of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). A 76 year old man presenting with a clinical diagnosis of DLB had undergone PiB-positron emission tomography (PET), 18F FDG-PET and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 18 months before death. The pathologic diagnosis was DLB neocortical-type with low-likelihood of Alzheimer's disease by NIA-Reagan criteria. Sections from regions of interest (ROI) on post-mortem examination were studied. A significant correlation was found between cortical Aβ density and PiB retention in the 17 corresponding ROIs (r = 0.899; p < 0.0001). Bielschowsky silver stain revealed mostly sparse neocortical neuritic plaques, whereas diffuse plaques were frequent. There was no correlation between LB density and PiB retention (r = 0.13; p = 0.66); nor between NFT density and PiB retention (r = −0.36; p = 0.17). The ROI-based analysis of imaging and histopathological data confirms that PiB uptake on PET is a specific marker for Aβ density, but cannot differentiate neuritic from diffuse amyloid plaques in this case with DLB.

Alzheimer disease identification using amyloid imaging and reserve variables

Several factors may influence the relationship between Alzheimer disease (AD) lesions and the expression of dementia, including those related to brain and cognitive reserve. Other factors may confound the association between AD pathology and dementia. We tested whether factors thought to influence the association of AD pathology and dementia help to accurately identify dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) when considered together with amyloid imaging. Participants with normal cognition (n = 180) and with DAT (n = 25), aged 50 years or older, took part in clinical, neurologic, and psychometric assessments. PET with the Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) tracer was used to measure brain amyloid, yielding a mean cortical binding potential (MCBP) reflecting PiB uptake. Logistic regression was used to generate receiver operating characteristic curves, and the areas under those curves (AUC), to compare the predictive accuracy of using MCBP alone vs MCBP together with other variables selected using a stepwise selection procedure to identify participants with DAT vs normal cognition. The AUC resulting from MCBP alone was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.73-0.94; cross-validated AUC = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.68-0.92). The AUC for the predictive equation generated by a stepwise model including education, normalized whole brain volume, physical health rating, gender, and use of medications that may interfere with cognition was 0.94 (95% CI = 0.90-0.98; cross-validated AUC = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.85-0.96), an improvement (p = 0.025) over that yielded using MCBP alone. Results suggest that factors reported to influence associations between AD pathology and dementia can improve the predictive accuracy of amyloid imaging for the identification of symptomatic AD.

Cognition, glucose metabolism and amyloid burden in Alzheimer's disease

The authors investigated relationships between glucose metabolism, amyloid load, and measures of cognitive and functional impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Patients meeting criteria for probable AD underwent (11)C-labeled Pittsburgh Compound-B ([(11)C]PIB) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([(18)F]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and were assessed on a set of clinical measures. The Pittsburgh Compound-B (PIB) Distribution volume ratios and fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) scans were spatially normalized and average PIB counts from regions-of-interest (ROI) were used to compute a measure of global PIB uptake. Separate voxel-wise regressions explored local and global relationships between metabolism, amyloid burden, and clinical measures. Regressions reflected cognitive domains assessed by individual measures, with visuospatial tests associated with more posterior metabolism, and language tests associated with metabolism in the left hemisphere. Correlating regional FDG uptake with these measures confirmed these findings. In contrast, no correlations were found between either voxel-wise or regional PIB uptake and any of the clinical measures. Finally, there were no associations between regional PIB and FDG uptake. We conclude that regional and global amyloid burden does not correlate with clinical status or glucose metabolism in AD.

Pittsburgh Compound-B and Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarkers in CSF, Plasma and Urine: An Exploratory Study

Background: The positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer Pittsburgh Compound-B (PIB) is an in vivo ligand for measuring β-amyloid (Aβ) load. Associations between PET PIB and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ1–42 and apolipoprotein E Ε4 (APOE Ε4) have been observed in several studies, but the relations between PIB uptake and other biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are less investigated. Method: PET PIB, PET 18Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose and different AD biomarkers were measured twice in CSF, plasma and urine 12 months apart in 10 patients with a clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate AD. Results: PIB retention was constant over 1 year, inversely related to low CSF Aβ1–42 (p = 0.01) and correlated positively to the numbers of the APOE Ε4 allele (0, 1 or 2) (p = 0.02). There was a relation between mean PIB retention and CSF ApoE protein (r = –0.59, p = 0.07), and plasma cystatin C (r = –0.56, p = 0.09). Conclusion: PIB retention is strongly related to CSF Aβ1–42, and to the numbers of the APOE Ε4 allele.