The first signs of Alzheimer’s disease (i.e. the accumulation of ß-amyloid) can be found in the brain decades before the first symptoms appear. However, ß-amyloid deposition is considered to be a necessary, but not sufficient, step on the path towards the development of Alzheimer’s dementia. The role of ß-amyloid in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages has not yet been fully clarified. AMYPAD assessed whether depiction of brain ß-amyloid can improve the prediction or early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. A good way to assess brain ß-amyloid is PET imaging.

The AMYPAD diagnostic study selected and followed up a clinical population suspected of possible Alzheimer’s disease, focusing on those with subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), to determine the usefulness of ß-amyloid imaging as a diagnostic marker for Alzheimer’s disease.