Amyloid imaging with (18)F-labeled radiotracers will allow widespread use, 
facilitating research, diagnosis, and therapeutic development for Alzheimer 
disease. The purpose of the study program was to compare cortical amyloid 
deposition using (18)F-florbetaben and PET in controls and subjects with mild 
cognitive impairment (MCI), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), dementia 
with Lewy bodies (DLB), vascular dementia (VaD), Parkinson disease (PD), and 
Alzheimer disease (AD).
METHODS: One hundred nine subjects in 3 clinical studies at Austin Health were 
reviewed: 32 controls, 20 subjects with MCI, and 30 patients with AD, 11 with 
FTLD, 7 with DLB, 5 with PD, and 4 with VaD underwent PET after intravenous 
injection of 300 MBq of (18)F-florbetaben. Standardized uptake value ratios 
(SUVR) using the cerebellar cortex as a reference region were calculated between 
90 and 110 min after injection.
RESULTS: When compared with the other groups, AD patients demonstrated 
significantly higher SUVRs (P < 0.0001) in neocortical areas. Most AD patients 
(96%) and 60% of MCI subjects showed diffuse cortical (18)F-florbetaben 
retention. In contrast, only 9% of FTLD, 25% of VaD, 29% of DLB, and no PD 
patients and 16% of controls showed cortical binding. Although there was a 
correlation between Mini Mental State Examination and β-amyloid burden in the 
MCI group, no correlation was observed in controls, FTLD or AD.
CONCLUSION: (18)F-florbetaben had high sensitivity for AD, clearly distinguished 
patients with FTLD from AD, and provided results comparable to those reported 
with (11)C-Pittsburgh Compound B in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases.