What were we asked to look at?

We have been asked to assess the use of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging compared with current standard of care single photon emission tomography (SPECT) imaging in the diagnosis of dementia.

Why is this important?

Approximately 1 in 11 people over the age of 65 years in Scotland has dementia. The number of people living with dementia is expected to increase with the ageing population. People undergoing assessment for dementia often need functional imaging to help clarify their diagnosis. Patients in Scotland currently undergo SPECT. An alternative to this would be to use FDG-PET.

The Scottish Clinical Imaging Network (SCIN) is seeking evidence to inform the ongoing PET-CT service review on whether or not to develop an FDG-PET dementia imaging service through the four regional PET-CT centres in Scotland.

Referred by

The Scottish Clinical Imaging Network (SCIN).