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Brain PET Imaging: Frontotemporal Dementia
Ward J, Ly M, Raji CA.. PET clinics, 2023-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Brain PET adds value in diagnosing neurodegenerative disorders, especially frontotemporal dementia (FTD) due to its syndromic presentation that overlaps with a variety of other neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. 18F-FDG-PET has improved sensitivity and specificity compared with structural MR imaging, with optimal diagnostic results achieved when both techniques are utilized. PET demonstrates superior sensitivity compared with SPECT for FTD diagnosis that is primarily a supplement to other imaging and clinical evaluations. Tau-PET and amyloid-PET primary use in FTD diagnosis is differentiation from Alzheimer disease, although these methods are limited mainly to research settings.
Key findings
- Brain PET adds value in diagnosing neurodegenerative disorders, especially frontotemporal dementia (FTD) due to its syndromic presentation that overlaps with a variety of other neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. 18F-FDG-PET has improved sensitivity and specificity compared with structural MR imaging, with optimal diagnostic results achieved when both techniques are utilized.
- PET demonstrates superior sensitivity compared with SPECT for FTD diagnosis that is primarily a supplement to other imaging and clinical evaluations.
Why it matters
This review describes how brain PET, especially FDG-PET, helps diagnose frontotemporal dementia and how tau-PET and amyloid-PET are used mainly to distinguish it from Alzheimer disease, mostly in research settings. It is about diagnosis and does not treat, cure or prevent Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (PET clinics) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | PET Clinics: journal h-index 44 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2023 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 35 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.0 citations a year over 5 year(s) since 2023 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 33 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Cyrus A. Raji: h-index 35 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Washington University in St. Louis: institution h-index 1,962 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 36442960) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Ward, J., Ly, M., & Raji, C. A. (2023). Brain PET Imaging: Frontotemporal Dementia. PET clinics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpet.2022.09.010
Vancouver
Ward J, Ly M, Raji CA. Brain PET Imaging: Frontotemporal Dementia. PET clinics. 2023. doi:10.1016/j.cpet.2022.09.010. PMID: 36442960.
BibTeX
@article{ward2023-36442960,
author = {Ward, J. and Ly, M. and Raji, C. A.},
title = {{Brain PET Imaging: Frontotemporal Dementia}},
journal = {PET clinics},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1016/j.cpet.2022.09.010},
pmid = {36442960},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpet.2022.09.010}
}
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