05 June 19. First PET-MR scan for AMYPAD

What is AMYPAD?

The Amyloid Imaging to Prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AMYPAD) aims to improve the understanding, diagnosis and management of Alzheimer’s disease through the utilisation of ß-amyloid PET imaging.

What is AMYPAD-PNHS?

The AMYPAD Prognostic Natural History Study (PNHS)  is a collaborative research initiative aiming to:

• Improve the understanding of the natural history of Alzheimer’s Disease
• Define the window for intervention in conjunction with ongoing longitudinal cohorts such as EPAD ( European Prevention of Alzheimer’s Dementia Consortium )

AMYPAD-PNHS is currently running across 5 European countries and has currently scanned over 70 participants. AMYPAD-PNHS receives Innovative Medicines Initiatives funding, with the study being led in the UK by Professor Craig Ritchie, Centre for Dementia Prevention, in close collaboration with Edinburgh Imaging.

The collaborative nature of this project demonstrates how partners are working together, to invest in dementia research resources and helping to improve UK infrastructure for dementia research.

How does the study work?

PET-Amyloid imaging will be undertaken in 2000 participants and a sub-population of these will have a repeat PET-MR scan 1-2 years later. The scans represent an additional important biomarker, which combined with cognitive, imaging and CSF biomarkers from other AMYPAD research done with these participants, will aid in disease modelling work.

The AMYPAD study is a hugely important multi-site PET imaging study that has academic and industry collaborators across Europe, working together to create a rich database of longitudinal imaging and clinical data. The analysis of this data will strengthen the knowledge we have about the relationship between amyloid protein build up and the progression of Alzheimer’s which is fundamental to the understanding of the disease. This will also bring information to researchers and physicians that will shape the way that amyloid PET imaging is used in the clinic in future.

Catriona Wimberley