Annotated Bibliography 1: Usefulness of positron emission tomography to detect cerebral amyloid as a

The purpose of the article, Usefulness of Positron Emission Tomography to Detect Cerebral Amyloid as a Means to Diagnose Neurodegenerative Disease, is to discuss the developing use of imaging technology to diagnose neurodegenerative disease . First the article begins by characterizing Alzheimer’s disease as in what defines it physically in a patient. Then the article goes on by relating how imaging machines such as MRI have the ability to show those physical characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease which thus means these imaging machines have the ability to diagnose this disease. The article does all the above again but for the disease Dementia. After establishing a foundation, the author presents a case study that demonstrates and supports their finding and claims. The case study is of a 68-year-old male with progressive memory loss. To diagnose this patient doctors used the traditional method of neuropsychological evaluation, but also used imagining technology is search of a more detailed examination. The use of MRI and Pet scan showed much more successful results. The MRI imaging “disclosed many punctate foci of signal dropout in a widespread distribution on susceptibility-weighted images, correlating with the presence of many chronic microhemorrhages” (Oza 1). The PET scan “demonstrated a widespread abnormal increase in radiotracer accumulation within the cortical gray matter resulting in loss of gray-white matter distinction” (Oza 1). The authors then write a discussion that reiterates the successful results MRI and PET imaging have had in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease. The authors also than discuss how this imaging technology not only has potential in the diagnosis of theses disease, but also in the treatment of these diseases. Drugs for AD therapy are being researched and due to the fact that these machines can detect these diseases in their early stages the development of these drugs could have significant results in curing these diseases. "several new targeted drugs for AD therapy are being researched and, should a drug prove eff ective, it is reasonable that diagnosis of AD at the earliest possible stage would be advantageous in terms of initiating treatment and slowing progression of the disease. Amyloid PET imaging, particularly as part of a multimodality neuroimaging approach in combination with MRI, is a valuable adjunct to standard neuropsychological testing in this context" (Oza 2).

This article could be my starting point to begin my research over the exponential progress imaging technology has brought to the medical world. From this article, I can find new subtopics to look into to help me gain a better understanding and foundation over the use of imaging. Perhaps I could begin learning how this technology was developed and why. Also this article could then allow me to begin researching more recent clinical trials being done for new methods of diagnosing and treating neurodegenerative diseases. By using this article and other articles over various technology in medicine, current clinical trials, and speaking to the PET, MRI, CT, Xray scan technicians and the radiologist at my mentorship I will be able to conduct my research towards my essential question.

Page, J., Oza, U., Layton, K., & Padilla, C. (2017). Usefulness of positron emission tomography to detect cerebral amyloid as a means to diagnose neurodegenerative disease. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, 30(3), 362-364.