Types of PET scans - Diagnosis help needed please

[Starfish21]

Hi all

My mum has been having significant memory problems, anxiety and depression for at least a year. Last August she had an MRI and because it was all clear was told that she did not have dementia, even though she was scoring poorly on the two memory tests she took. They said she had anxiety and depression.

We are now another 6 months down the line and I asked the medical people that she is seeing whether they can do a PET scan for further diagnosis. They told me the only PET scans that they offer are FDG PET scans. They said that it is the only test their NHS trust offer and that the amyloid PET scans are only used in research centres and not for the general public.

My question is can an FDG scan show dementia? Has anybody here had a diagnosis from an FDG PET scan? If not, how do you go about getting an FDG PET scan?

They haven't even promised the scan, said that they want to do yet another memory test first. However, she her memory is definitely declining and she is really struggling with everyday life.

Thank you

 

[Fugs]

Hi @Starfish21 , my wife had one of those scans after she had a negative MRI scan. (It was called a PET CT scan, but looking on line it appears to be the same thing)
The diagnosis appears to come from where the glucose (radioactive) is being used by the brain.


https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/resea... different types of,the brain is using energy.

 

[maggie6445]

Hi, my OH . got his diagnosis following CT and DAT scans. Possibly given different scans dependent on symptoms and type of dementia they think it could be? I think Lewy Body / Parkinson's was what the DAT scan was looking for.
His diagnosis was inconclusive but they they went with Alzheimer's with possible Lewy Body.

 

[Collywobbles]

We were told that my Mum’s CT scan showed brain shrinkage. That combined with her symptoms led to a diagnosis of dementia and ultimately Alzheimer’s.