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CC BY 4.0 · Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2025; 83(05): s00451808086
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1808086
Original Article

How the use of FDG PET is improving the diagnosis of dementia in a reference center in Recife, Brazil

Luisa Couceiro de Albuquerque Macêdo 
1   Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Empresa Brasileira de Serviços Hospitalares, Hospital das Clínicas, Serviço de Neurologia, Recife PE, Brazil.
,
Raphaelly Ribeiro Campos 
1   Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Empresa Brasileira de Serviços Hospitalares, Hospital das Clínicas, Serviço de Neurologia, Recife PE, Brazil.
,
Luiz Eduardo Duarte Borges Nunes 
2   Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Médicas, Área Acadêmica de Neuropsiquiatria, Recife PE, Brazil.
,
Mariana Gonçalves Maciel Pinheiro 
2   Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Médicas, Área Acadêmica de Neuropsiquiatria, Recife PE, Brazil.
,
Alberto Henrique Torres Trindade da Silva 
3   Universidade de Pernambuco, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Recife PE, Brazil.
,
Maria Regina Vendas Carneiro Leão 
2   Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Médicas, Área Acadêmica de Neuropsiquiatria, Recife PE, Brazil.
,
Aldson dos Santos Silva  Júnior
2   Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Médicas, Área Acadêmica de Neuropsiquiatria, Recife PE, Brazil.
,
Felipe Alves Mourato 
4   Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Empresa Brasileira de Serviços Hospitalares, Hospital das Clínicas, Serviço de Medicina Nuclear, Recife PE, Brazil.
,
Simone Cristina Soares Brandão 
4   Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Empresa Brasileira de Serviços Hospitalares, Hospital das Clínicas, Serviço de Medicina Nuclear, Recife PE, Brazil.
5   Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Médicas, Área Acadêmica de Medicina Clínica, Recife PE, Brazil.
,
Breno José Alencar Pires Barbosa 
1   Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Empresa Brasileira de Serviços Hospitalares, Hospital das Clínicas, Serviço de Neurologia, Recife PE, Brazil.
2   Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Médicas, Área Acadêmica de Neuropsiquiatria, Recife PE, Brazil.
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Abstract

Background

Since the advent of 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([18F]FDG, henceforth, FDG) in the 1970s as a neurochemical tracer, FDG positron emission tomography (PET) has been used for research in dementia and to help diagnose dementing neurodegenerative disorders. However, FDG PET is still unavailable in most centers, especially those in low- and middle-income countries, and there is limited data on biomarkers from patients in diverse populations, such Latin Americans.

Objective

To analyze the main indications and how the use of FDG PET helped improve the diagnosis of dementia in a specialized center in Recife, one of the largest cities in Northeastern Brazil.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from 62 individuals under follow-up at our center between 2018 and 2023 who had a clinical diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment and underwent FDG PET scans.

Results

In 21/29 (72.4%) patients, FDG PET helped investigate the types of atypical neurodegenerative dementias; in 14/24 (58.3%), it clarified the clinical question in the investigation of early-onset dementia syndromes; and, in 9 cases, it was performed to differentiate between degenerative and non-degenerative dementias.

Conclusion

These numbers may set the foundation for further longitudinal analyses and collaborative studies including participants from Northeastern Brazil.

Keywords

Positron-Emission Tomography - Dementia - Alzheimer Disease

Authors' Contributions

BJAPB: conceptualization, project administration, and writing – review & editing; LCAM, RRC, LEB, MGMP, AHTTS, MRVCL, and ASSJ: data curation, and writing – original draft; FAM: data curation and writing – review & editing; and SCSB: supervision and writing – review & editing. LCAM and RRC contributed equally to this study and will share the first co-authorship.


Data Availability Statement

The data supporting this study's findings are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.


Editor-in-Chief: Hélio A. G. Teive.


Associate Editor: Sonia M. D. Brucki.




Publication History

Received: 27 November 2024

Accepted: 03 March 2025

Article published online:
21 May 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Bibliographical Record
Luisa Couceiro de Albuquerque Macêdo, Raphaelly Ribeiro Campos, Luiz Eduardo Duarte Borges Nunes, Mariana Gonçalves Maciel Pinheiro, Alberto Henrique Torres Trindade da Silva, Maria Regina Vendas Carneiro Leão, Aldson dos Santos Silva, Felipe Alves Mourato, Simone Cristina Soares Brandão, Breno José Alencar Pires Barbosa. How the use of FDG PET is improving the diagnosis of dementia in a reference center in Recife, Brazil. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2025; 83: s00451808086.
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1808086
 

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