Assessing Synaptic Density in Alzheimer Disease With Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A Positron Emission Tomographic Imaging (2018) Chen et al

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Abstract:
Assessing Synaptic Density in Alzheimer Disease With Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A Positron Emission Tomographic Imaging
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/article-abstract/2687472

Press release:
Yale-developed test for Alzheimer’s disease directly measures synaptic loss
https://news.yale.edu/2018/07/16/ya...imers-disease-directly-measures-synaptic-loss

Yale researchers have tested a new method for directly measuring synaptic loss in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. The method, which uses PET imaging technology to scan for a specific protein in the brain linked to synapses, has the potential to accelerate research for new Alzheimer’s treatments, the researchers said.

A decrease in synapses, the junctions between nerve cells, correlates with cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease patients, they said.

The findings show that the non-invasive PET test can provide a direct measure of synaptic loss in adults with even mild cognitive impairment. “With this new biomarker, PET imaging for SV2A, we can measure synaptic density in the living human brain,” Chen noted.

This PET imaging tool is also being used in clinical research studies at Yale for other diseases of the brain where synapse loss is a critical component of the disease, said Richard Carson, co-author and director of Yale PET Center. These diseases include Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, drug abuse, depression, and schizophrenia.