Nuclear Medicine Imaging in the Major Neurodegenerative Disorders

Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), are characterized by progressive neuronal loss and functional decline.With the rise of aging populations, the need for early and accurate diagnosis has become increasingly important.Recent advances in molecular imaging, particularly positron emission tomography (PET), have enabled in vivo visualization of disease-specific pathologies, thereby enhancing diagnostic precision and clinical decision-making.In AD, amyloid PET imaging is used to detect -amyloid plaques.Amyloid PET imaging is valuable for early detection, differential diagnosis, and prognosis, especially in patients with mild cognitive impairment.Quantitative methods provide standardized interpretation.Tau PET imaging reflects the progression of AD and offers complementary insights by capturing regional tau accumulation patterns associated with different clinical phenotypes.Fluorodeoxyglucose PET is also valuable for identifying metabolic patterns that distinguish AD from other dementias.In PD, dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging enables visualization of DAT loss in the nigrostriatal pathway.DAT uptake reduction typically begins in the posterior putamen and progresses to the caudate nucleus.This imaging modality demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity for PD diagnosis and is particularly useful in differentiating it from essential tremor, drug-induced Parkinsonism, and dementia with Lewy bodies.DAT uptake also correlates with clinical severity.In summary, nuclear medicine imaging serves as a valuable tool in the diagnosis and management of neurodegenerative diseases, providing objective biomarkers for early detection, differential diagnosis, and disease monitoring.