|
|
How does PACI work?
PACI utilizes the Alzheimer’s Cranial Index (ACI), the radionuclide florbetapir, and a PET scan to accurately and timely diagnose patients. Prior to being scanned, a patient is injected with florbetapir. A PET scan uses this tracer to tag amyloid plaques, thereby creating an image of the patient's brain. This image is instantaneously compared to the ACI database of scans from Alzheimer’s patients at specific stages of the disease. PACI would match the patient's scan to an image from the database. The scanned image would be compared side-by-side to the ACI image on a computer screen. The number of plaques in the patient's brain would be synonymous with the image from the database, thereby allowing doctors to diagnose a patient's specific stage and track its progression over time.
What is florbetapir?
Florbetapir is a radionuclide utilized by PACI before a patient undergoes a PET scan. This molecule attaches to beta-amyloid plaques, which are found in greater amounts in the brain of individuals with Alzheimer’s. Florbetapir tags these molecules in the PET scan, allowing doctors to diagnose the disease.
What is the Alzheimer’s Cranial Index (ACI)?
The ACI is a virtual database that contains brain scans of Alzheimer’s patients that have already been analyzed and diagnosed at a specific stage of the disease. Every scan produced by PACI is added to the ACI. This virtual library enables doctors to match a patient's scan to one in the database, thereby allowing doctors to accurately diagnose a patient in a specific stage of the disease and track its progression.
Why does PACI matter?
PACI would revolutionize Alzheimer’s detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Combined with the ACI, this technology would enable doctors to quickly and accurately diagnose a patients current stage of the disease. The effectiveness of new medications could be tested by tracking the progression of the disease in patients taking these drugs. It is estimated that by the year 2015, five hundred thousand people each year in the US will fall victim to Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, there is no fail safe measure to diagnose and monitor this fatal disease. PACI would change this.
PACI utilizes the Alzheimer’s Cranial Index (ACI), the radionuclide florbetapir, and a PET scan to accurately and timely diagnose patients. Prior to being scanned, a patient is injected with florbetapir. A PET scan uses this tracer to tag amyloid plaques, thereby creating an image of the patient's brain. This image is instantaneously compared to the ACI database of scans from Alzheimer’s patients at specific stages of the disease. PACI would match the patient's scan to an image from the database. The scanned image would be compared side-by-side to the ACI image on a computer screen. The number of plaques in the patient's brain would be synonymous with the image from the database, thereby allowing doctors to diagnose a patient's specific stage and track its progression over time.
What is florbetapir?
Florbetapir is a radionuclide utilized by PACI before a patient undergoes a PET scan. This molecule attaches to beta-amyloid plaques, which are found in greater amounts in the brain of individuals with Alzheimer’s. Florbetapir tags these molecules in the PET scan, allowing doctors to diagnose the disease.
What is the Alzheimer’s Cranial Index (ACI)?
The ACI is a virtual database that contains brain scans of Alzheimer’s patients that have already been analyzed and diagnosed at a specific stage of the disease. Every scan produced by PACI is added to the ACI. This virtual library enables doctors to match a patient's scan to one in the database, thereby allowing doctors to accurately diagnose a patient in a specific stage of the disease and track its progression.
Why does PACI matter?
PACI would revolutionize Alzheimer’s detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Combined with the ACI, this technology would enable doctors to quickly and accurately diagnose a patients current stage of the disease. The effectiveness of new medications could be tested by tracking the progression of the disease in patients taking these drugs. It is estimated that by the year 2015, five hundred thousand people each year in the US will fall victim to Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, there is no fail safe measure to diagnose and monitor this fatal disease. PACI would change this.