Guidelines on PET imaging for AD diagnosis
The Alzheimer's Association and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) jointly published guidelines on the appropriate clinical use of amyloid PET imaging to aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease when considered with other clinical information and a patient's history. According to the guidelines, appropriate candidates for beta amyloid PET imaging include patients who complain of persistent or progressive unexplained memory problems or confusion who show impairments using standard tests, and patients who meet standard tests for possible AD but who are unusual in their clinical presentation. The guidelines were published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The groups noted that amyloid PET results "will not constitute and is not equivalent to a clinical diagnosis" of AD.
The groups noted that beta amyloid PET imaging is not yet covered by insurance, including Medicare. On Wednesday, CMS's Medical Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) is meeting to discuss a National Coverage Assessment (NCA) for beta amyloid PET imaging for diagnosing and managing dementia and neurodegenerative disease. ...