The introduction of florbetapir (Amyvid) positron emission tomography biomarkers 
could dramatically change how we clinically evaluate young patients who present 
with nonamnestic cognitive complaints for possible Alzheimer disease (AD). 
Logopenic progressive aphasia (LPA) may be the most common example of this type 
of clinical problem. In most, but not all, cases, LPA is an early-onset AD 
variant presenting with language changes that can be difficult to distinguish 
from other progressive aphasias. We clinically evaluated 3 patients with LPA, in 
comparison with age-matched and severity-matched patients with typical amnestic 
AD, using florbetapir amyloid neuroimaging. The fluorodeoxyglucose-positron 
emission tomography scans of LPA patients revealed focal hypometabolism in the 
left temporoparietal areas, and the florbetapir scans were diffusely positive 
for the presence of amyloid deposition. The florbetapir scans did not differ in 
distribution between patients with LPA and those with typical amnestic AD. 
Clinical amyloid imaging, although lacking localizing value, is a major advance 
in the assessment of early-onset and nonamnestic patients for the presence of 
β-amyloid Alzheimer pathology.