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. 2023 Nov;19(11):5232-5252.
doi: 10.1002/alz.13158. Epub 2023 Jun 12.

Longitudinal amyloid and tau PET imaging in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review of methodologies and factors affecting quantification

Ariane Bollack  1 , Hugh G Pemberton  1   2   3 , Lyduine E Collij  4   5 , Pawel Markiewicz  1 , David M Cash  3   6 , Gill Farrar  2 , Frederik Barkhof  1   3   4 ; on behalf on the AMYPAD consortium
Affiliations

Longitudinal amyloid and tau PET imaging in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review of methodologies and factors affecting quantification

Ariane Bollack et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2023 Nov.

Abstract

Deposition of amyloid and tau pathology can be quantified in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET). Accurate longitudinal measurements of accumulation from these images are critical for characterizing the start and spread of the disease. However, these measurements are challenging; precision and accuracy can be affected substantially by various sources of errors and variability. This review, supported by a systematic search of the literature, summarizes the current design and methodologies of longitudinal PET studies. Intrinsic, biological causes of variability of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) protein load over time are then detailed. Technical factors contributing to longitudinal PET measurement uncertainty are highlighted, followed by suggestions for mitigating these factors, including possible techniques that leverage shared information between serial scans. Controlling for intrinsic variability and reducing measurement uncertainty in longitudinal PET pipelines will provide more accurate and precise markers of disease evolution, improve clinical trial design, and aid therapy response monitoring.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; PET; amyloid; brain; longitudinal; quantification; tau.

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