Journal of Molecular Imaging & Dynamics
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9937
ISSN: 2155-9937
Saswata Roy
Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, UK
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Mol Imag Dynamic
Background: Tau protein plays a vital role in maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the nervous system; however, hyperphosphorylation or abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative disorders. The development of radioligand such as the 18F-flortaucipir (AV-1451) has provided us with the opportunity to assess the underlying tau pathology in various etiologies of dementia. For the purpose of this article, we aimed to evaluate the utility of 18F-AV-1451 in the differential diagnosis of various neurodegenerative disorders. We used PubMed to look for the latest, peer-reviewed, and informative articles. The scope of discussion included the role of 18F-AV-1451 positron emission tomography (PET) to aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and Parkinson’s disease with dementia (PDD). We also discussed if the tau burden identified by neuroimaging correlated well with the clinical severity and identified the various challenges of 18F-AV-1451 PET. We concluded that although the role of 18F-AV-1451 seems promising in the neuroimaging of AD, the benefit appears uncertain when it comes to the non-Alzheimer’s tauopathies. More research is required to identify the off-target binding sites of 18F-AV-1451 to determine its clinical utility in the future.
Dr. Saswata Roy is a trainee medicine doctor at Musgrove park Hospital, Taunton in the UK. He has extensive experience of working in the NHS and started working in the UK after having completed his undergraduate studies in Kolkata, India. He has a special interest in cliical radiology and is keen in exploring and discovering the ever evolving world of newer imaging techniques. Saswata Roy Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, UK.