Beta-amyloid PET imaging for Alzheimers disease keyvisual

Beta-amyloid PET/CT imaging for Alzheimer's diseaseIdentify, evaluate, and quantify

Several ground-breaking immunotherapy treatments have recently emerged that work to reduce beta-amyloid plaques that form in the brain and slow down cognitive decline in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To qualify for these treatments, the presence of beta-amyloid plaque must be confirmed through diagnostic testing. Beta-amyloid PET/CT imaging plays a critical role in the AD care pathway, as it is one of the only modalities available to evaluate beta-amyloid plaque burden.

AD and beta-amyloid plaque accumulation

In a healthy brain, beta-amyloid protein fragments are broken down and removed from the brain. In a brain with AD, beta-amyloid protein fragments accumulate to form hard, insoluble plaques in between neurons. Beta-amyloid plaque buildup in the brain is often an early indicator of AD. This plaque buildup can be devastating, which is why early detection with a diagnostic tool, such as beta-amyloid PET/CT imaging, is crucial to improving outcomes for patients with AD.

Healthy brain - Beta-amyloid protein fragments are broken down and removed from the brain

Healthy brain

Beta-amyloid protein fragments are broken down and removed from the brain

Alzheimer's brain - Beta-amyloid protein fragments accumulate to form hard, insoluble plaques between neurons

AD brain

Beta-amyloid protein fragments accumulate to form hard, insoluble plaques between neurons

Enabling the AD care pathway 

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pet ct scan machine optiso detector

Optiso detector technology

Designed for optimum performance, our PMT based design offers high volumetric resolution 95-mm3, decreased partial volume effect, and superb image quality.


pet ct scan machine crystal element technology

Crystal element technology

A fast, efficient scintillator, LSO is grown and cut in-house. Crystal elements deliver high isotropic spatial resolution; higher spatial resolution may result in improved lesion detectability.


pet ct scan machine time of flight technology

Time-of-flight technology

Supports to better localize the event within a small range along each line of response (LOR). The better localization of each event using time of flight (TOF) reduces noise in the reconstructed image while improving contrast and image clarity.

pet ct brain scan ultra HD Pet technology

ultraHD•PET technology

Provides improved image signal-to-noise by utilizing timing information (TOF) between the two PET coincidence events. Combined with the resolution recovery of HD•PET, this option can be used to enhance image quality.

Beta-amyloid PET image comparison

A positive beta-amyloid PET scan is not a definitive diagnosis for AD but rather a diagnostic tool to determine the presence of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain to help increase the clinical certainty of AD diagnosis. The use of beta-amyloid PET imaging may help enable the quantification of beta-amyloid plaque burden in the brain cortices as well in the blood vessels supplying the brain.2

Beta-amyloid PET negative

Amyloid-negative PET scan

•    Low uptake in cortical gray matter indicates sparse to no amyloid plaques

•    Inconsistent with a neuropathological diagnosis of AD

Beta-amyloid PET positive

Amyloid-positive PET scan

  • High uptake in cortical gray matter indicates moderate to frequent amyloid plaques (loss of gray-white matter contrast)
  • Consistent with a neuropathological diagnosis of AD

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