PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ — GE Healthcare, a unit
of General Electric Company (NYSE:
GE), today announced that DaTSCAN™ (ioflupane I 123
injection), a radiopharmaceutical agent intended for use with
single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of the
brain, has been recommended in updated European Federation of the
Neurological Societies (EFNS) guidelines for the diagnosis and
management of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The guidelines appear in
the October issue of the European Journal of
Neurology.(1)
Specifically, the guidelines, which were last issued in 2007(2),
note that SPECT “may increase diagnostic confidence in the
evaluation of dementia,” adding that dopaminergic SPECT imaging
with DaTSCAN is useful in differentiating AD from dementia with
Lewy bodies (DLB)(1), a neurological condition that is similar to
AD in that it results from the death of nerve cells in the
brain.(3) The EFNS recommendation carries a level A grade of
evidence – the strongest grade assigned in the guidelines
– noting that DaTSCAN can differentiate AD from DLB with
sensitivity and specificity of “around 85%.”(1,2)
“As the global population ages and the prevalence of dementia
rises, it will become increasingly important to be able to
differentiate Alzheimer’s disease from other types of dementia,”
said Adrian Holden, EU Head of Medical Professional Services for GE
Healthcare. “Neurologists will therefore become increasingly
reliant on imaging technologies that can accurately yield a
definitive diagnosis. We are pleased that the EFNS has recognized
the value of DaTSCAN in facilitating diagnosis of dementia,
particularly with regard to distinguishing Alzheimer’s disease from
dementia with Lewy bodies. We hope the EFNS recommendation results
in enhanced provision of timely and appropriate treatment to
patients living with dementia – not only
‘/>”/>
SOURCE