Background/objective: The aim of this study was to assess, in routine, the rates with which an amyloid deposition was documented by 18F-florbetaben PET in patients with suspected Alzheimer's disease (AD) but with isolated increases in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau-protein concentrations, and the subsequent impact of these PET results on medical management.
Methods: This prospective study included 34 patients with mild neurocognitive disorders (MND) and suspected AD (73±9 years, 16 women) and with abnormal CSF concentrations in total-tau (T-tau) and/or phosphorylated-tau (P-tau) proteins but normal Aβ42 concentration and Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio. These patients were referred to 8F-florbetaben PET from which the PET-related changes in the confidence for AD diagnosis (low, intermediate, or high) and treatments were reported.
Results: The PET examinations were positive for amyloid deposition (brain amyloid plaque load, BAPL score >1) in none of the 9 patients with an increase in only T-tau proteins and in 8 among the 25 (32%) with an increase in P-tau proteins (one BAPL score of 2 and seven BAPL scores of 3). Knowledge of the PET results was associated with subsequent changes in diagnostic confidence in 44% of patients (15/34) and in the intention-to-treat with a cholinesterase inhibitor drug in 18% (6/34).
Conclusion: In patients with suspected AD and isolated increase in CSF tau protein concentrations, an amyloid deposition is documented by 18F-florbetaben PET in as much as one third of cases when the concentration of P-tau is abnormal, and PET results are associated with significant further changes in medical management.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; amyloid; cerebrospinal fluid; positron emission tomography.