AMYViD PET Brain Scans Help Diagnose Alzheimer's Disease

Reston Radiology Consultants is the first Center in Northern Virginia to offer the AMYViD PET BrainScan. AMYViD is an important imaging tool in diagnosis and management of dementia in neurologicpatients. The AMYViD PET brain scan at Reston Radiology Consultants can now help answer the question: Am I or a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's Disease?

There can be an overlap between different forms of dementia and the AMYViD PET brain scan may be an important imaging tool to help clarify the clinical diagnosis, allowing for greater confidence in clinical diagnosis and lessening patient uncertainty regarding the various causes of cognitive decline. It is currently the only imaging study available that is highly sensitive in its predictability of who is at risk.
Patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) have increased levels of a chemical protein called beta-amyloid within their brains. Previously, this has not been able to be detected except at autopsy. Now the AMYViD PET brain scan can detect the presence of beta-amyloid protein within the brain clarifying an uncertain clinical situation or confirming clinical suspicion. This can be of great value in planning,adjusting, focusing, and managing care of patients.

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How AMYVid Is Used

The Amyvid PET brain scan is used by doctors in combination with other tests to help diagnose Alzheimer'sdisease. The AMYViD drug iscombined with a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanner to show whether there is a high level ofbeta-amyloid plaque build-up within the brain.

•  Positive Scan: A positive AMYViD PET brain scan means that the amount of plaque in the brain is similar to the amount seen in patients with AD. This important information along with other important clinical and laboratory data can be used by caregivers to arrive at a diagnosis and determine how best to provide care.

•  Negative Scan: A negative AMYViD PET brain scan means there are few to no plaques in the brain and makes it unlikely that AD is the cause of symptoms at the time of the scan.

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