1. HOW CAN NEUROIMAGING HELP UNDERSTAND, DIAGNOSE, AND DEVELOP TREATMENTS FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE? Part C – AD brain scans - anatomical
NUCLEAR MEDICINE GRAND ROUNDS
Stanford University
J. Wesson Ashford, M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical Professor (affiliated), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Senior Research Scientist, Stanford / VA Aging Clinical Research
Stanford University and VA Palo Alto Health Care System
January 5, 2010
Slides at: (Dr. Ashford’s lectures)

2. BRAIN SCANNING TECHNIQUES
ANATOMICAL BRAIN IMAGING
CT – cerebral tomography
MRI – magnetic resonance imaging
FUNCTIONAL BRAIN IMAGING
SPECT – single photon emission computed tomography
PET – FDG – Positron emission tomography
BRAIN CHEMISTRY MEASUREMENT
MRS (spectroscopy – NAA/Cr: estimate neuronal volume)
BRAIN PATHOLOGY IMAGING
PIB – amyloid (many compounds under development)
FDDNP – neurofibrillary pathology

3. Evolution of Neuroimaging in AD39
Evolution of Neuroimaging in AD
Computed Tomography
MRI
Volumetric MRI
Co-registration of MRI
Functional MRI
FDG Glucose PET
Amyloid Imaging
P-Tau imaging
FDG Glucose PET
Helmuth L. Science. 2002;297:
Lab of Neuro Imaging UCLA School of Medicine. Brain Tissue Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease. Video Sequence. Available at: Accessed May 22, 2007.
Helmuth L. New therapies. New Alzheimer's treatments that may ease the mind. Science. 2002;297:
Alzheimer Disease Forum. Pittsburgh Compound-B Zooms into View. Available at: Accessed May 22, 2007.
Alzheimer Disease Forum.
Lab of Neuro Imaging UCLA School of Medicine. 3

7. NORMAL
ALZHEIMER

8. Hippocampus outline
Entorhinal Cortex outline

9. Braak and Braak stage vs normalized bilateral hippocampal formation (HF)
volume in subjects with isolated AD pathology. Jack et al., 2002

10. Jack et al., 1992
HF/TIV = Hippocampal Formation / Total Intracranial Volume

11. Volumes already being done in some medical centers.
AD-Designed Probability Atlas: Probabilistic Atlas of Hippocampal Volumes
Mega et al. 2002
UCLA Medical Center
Future MRIs will include estimates of disease probability based on volumes.
Volumes already being done in some medical centers.