Molecular imaging for the early diagnosis and monitoring of alzheimer's disease in old individuals with cognitive disturbances: an adni-compatible prospective study.

Led by Giovanni B. Frisoni (IRCCS Fatebenefratelli), the main aims of the project are:

• to set up a large dataset of MCI patients providing clinical, imaging, and biological data (basic markers) collected at baseline in a standardized and centralized fashion, including clinical data relative to disease progression after a 12-month follow-up;
• to identify the combination of basic markers with the highest accuracy for diagnosing of AD at the MCI stage;
• to expand the investigation of diagnostic and monitoring markers to advanced markers, such as molecular imaging ([11C]PK11195). Indeed, recent studies have shown that microglia activation is an early event in AD pathogenesis and that [11C]PK11195 represents a validated and specific PET radioligand marker of activated microglia.

The project deliverables will be to describe the baseline features of basic (cognitive features, structural imaging, FDG-PET, and CSF tau and abeta) and advanced markers (DTI, r-fMRI and activated microglia imaging) and to identify/validate a diagnostic marker (signature) pattern for prodromal AD.