Molecular Imaging with PET in the Assessment of Vascular Dementia and Cerebrovascular Disease

Vascular dementia (VaD) is a unique form of cognitive decline caused by impairment of blood flow to the brain. Atherosclerosis is strongly associated with VaD as plaque accumulation can lead to tissue hypoperfusion or stroke. VaD and atherosclerosis are both diagnosed relatively late in their disease courses, prompting the need for novel diagnostic approaches such as PET to visualize subclinical pathophysiologic changes. This review discusses the use of PET in the assessment of VaD and cerebrovascular disease, focusing on the application of [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose to study neurometabolism and [18F] sodium fluoride to quantify arterial calcification.