Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD): PET biomarker characterization of metabolism (18F-FDG), amyloid (11C-PIB) and tau (18F-AV1451) and its clinical correlate - analysis of a cohort from Argentina.

INTRODUCTION

Imaging biomarkers are fundamental in diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases, but their use in FTD remains limited. This study examines PET biomarkers in Argentine bvFTD patients.

METHODS

We studied a cohort of bvFTD patients (n = 20) and controls (n = 21) with three different PET radiotracers (18F-FDG, 11C-PiB, and 18F-AV1451).

RESULTS

In bvFTD patients, 18F-FDG PET showed significant hypometabolism in frontotemporal regions, along with hypermetabolism in the precentral gyrus, compared to normal controls. 11C-PIB did not reveal a pattern typical of Alzheimer's disease, yet increased uptake was notably observed in the precentral region. We found 18F-AV1451 uptake in frontal lobe, parietal, precuneus, cuneus, posterior cingulum, highly significant in bvFTD with respect to NCs.

DISCUSSION

PET biomarkers are a crucial tool in diverse real-world clinical scenarios. However, their utility in revealing questions about the underlying pathology in FTD is still limited.

HIGHLIGHTS

First bvFTD study using 18F-FDG, 11C-PIB, and 18F-AV1451 PET in a Latin American cohort. Frontotemporal hypometabolism with compensatory precentral hypermetabolism due to amyloid. Amyloid deposits observed in the precentral gyrus without an Alzheimer's-like pattern. 18F-AV1451 shows limitations in specificity for bvFTD pathology. Study provides new insights into PET biomarker utility for bvFTD clinical assessment.