Introduction 18F-AV-45 (Florbetapir F-18) is a novel 18F-labelled positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for in vivo imaging of cerebral amyloid deposition. Here we present preliminary results for differentiation between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) using this novel tracer, which is being applied in the UK for the first time.

Methods A study using 18F-AV-45 PET is to be performed in 15 subjects with AD, 15 subjects with FTD and 10 healthy controls (HC). All subjects undergo physical, biochemical and cognitive screening. In recruited subjects dynamic scanning was performed for 60 min after injection on a high-resolution PET scanner, and images were coregistered with 3D T1-weighted MRI. Tracer binding to amyloid was analysed using the cerebellum as the reference region, and comparing data to pooled data from the European Network on Diagnostic Molecular Imaging (DiMI) using the tracer 11C-Pittsburgh compound-B (PIB). Regions of interest were placed in frontal, temporal and parietal neocortical areas.

Results To date eight subjects have been studied. Neocortical binding of AV-45 in these subjects is in the same range as observed with PIB. Nonspecific binding to white matter was observed in all subjects.

Conclusion Binding of 18F-AV-45 to amyloid in AD has been confirmed, but was absent in FTD and HC. 18F-AV-45 is a promising new PET tracer for the in vivo imaging of amyloid deposition in AD, and the distinction from other forms of dementia.