POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY IN FAMILIAL ALZHEIMER-DISEASE

There is increasing evidence for genetic heterogeneity in Alzheimer di sease. A longitudinal clinical and imaging study had been established in order to determine whether specific phenotypic profiles are present in aetiologically distinct familial Alzheimer disease (FAD) pedigrees . [F-18]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography has been used in conjunction with statistical parametric mapping to determine the re lative distribution of hypometabolism. A parietotemporal deficit has b een observed in individuals from both amyloid precursor protein mutati on and chromosome 14 linked FAD families. Preliminary data from asympt omatic individuals at risk of FAD shows similar, although a less exten sive pattern of deficit.