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. 2017;60(3):939-947.
doi: 10.3233/JAD-161284.

Utility of Molecular and Structural Brain Imaging to Predict Progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Dementia

Martin J Lan  1   2 , R Todd Ogden  1   2 , Dileep Kumar  1   2 , Yaakov Stern  3   4 , Ramin V Parsey  5   6 , Gregory H Pelton  1   7   4 , Harry Rubin-Falcone  1   2 , Gnanavalli Pradhaban  1   7 , Francesca Zanderigo  1   2 , Jeffrey M Miller  1   2 , J John Mann  1   2 , D P Devanand  1   7
Affiliations

Utility of Molecular and Structural Brain Imaging to Predict Progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Dementia

Martin J Lan et al. J Alzheimers Dis. 2017.

Abstract

This project compares three neuroimaging biomarkers to predict progression to dementia in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Eighty-eight subjects with MCI and 40 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Subjects had a 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and two positron emission tomography (PET) scans, one with Pittsburgh compound B ([11C]PIB) and one with fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG). MCI subjects were followed for up to 4 y and progression to dementia was assessed on an annual basis. MCI subjects had higher [11C]PIB binding potential (BPND) than HCs in multiple brain regions, and lower hippocampus volumes. [11C]PIB BPND, [18F]FDG standard uptake value ratio (SUVR), and hippocampus volume were associated with time to progression to dementia using a Cox proportional hazards model. [18F]FDG SUVR demonstrated the most statistically significant association with progression, followed by [11C]PIB BPND and then hippocampus volume. [11C]PIB BPND and [18F]FDG SUVR were independently predictive, suggesting that combining these measures is useful to increase accuracy in the prediction of progression to dementia. Hippocampus volume also had independent predictive properties to [11C]PIB BPND, but did not add predictive power when combined with the [18F]FDG SUVR data. This work suggests that PET imaging with both [11C]PIB and [18F]FDG may help to determine which MCI subjects are likely to progress to AD, possibly directing future treatment options.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; PET; mild cognitive impairment; prognosis; volumetric MRI.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest/Disclosure Statement: ML received salary support from a medical education grant from Sunovian Pharmaceuticals unrelated to this project. JM’s wife’s family own stock in Johnson & Johnson unrelated to this project. DP receives salary support from a grant from Avanir and is a consultant for Astellas, Abbvie, Eisai and Genentech.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Kaplan-Meier curves of a median split of imaging outcome measure. Black curves are for subjects with greater than the median and red curves are less than the median imaging signal. Dashed lines are the 95% confidence interval lines. A: Higher [11C]PIB binding in the precuneus is associated with greater rates of progression to dementia. B: Lower [18F]FDG SUVR in the parietal cortex is associated with greater rates of progression to dementia. C: Lower hippocampus volume is related to greater rates of progression to dementia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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