Temecula Valley Imaging, a division of RadNet, Inc., a national market leader providing high-quality, cost-effective diagnostic imaging services through a network of 237 fully-owned and operated outpatient imaging centers, announced it’s Murrieta center will be the first location in the Temecula Valley to offer Amyvid™, a radioactive tracer used in positron emission tomography – computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging. Amyvid is the first test that can effectively rule out Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in patients who are being evaluated for cognitive impairment.
Every patient with AD has increased levels of beta-amyloid plaque deposits in the brain at autopsy. Amyvid binds to beta-amyloid plaque and allows a PET/CT image to detect their presence. A positive Amyvid scan indicates moderate to frequent beta-amyloid plaques are present. While this amount of beta-amyloid plaque is present in patients with AD, it is also found in patients with other types of neurologic conditions and in older people with normal cognition.
“A negative Amyvid scan provides persuasive evidence AD is not the cause for a patient’s observed cognitive decline,” said Dr. Judith Rose, director of PET/CT and nuclear medicine for RadNet. “This imaging technique will allow researchers to design more selective clinical trials for the next generation of treatment options.”
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Prior to the release of Amyvid PET/CT imaging, physicians had limited tools to definitively diagnose a patient with AD. More than 20 percent of AD cases are currently misdiagnosed. According to the Alzheimer’s Association AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the US; 660,000 Californians will have AD by 2025. Among the top 10 causes of death, AD is the only one that cannot be medically cured, prevented or slowed down. Between 2000 and 2008 the United States saw a 66 percent rise in deaths caused by AD.
“While this new diagnostic tool cannot confirm an AD diagnosis it allows physicians to identify and treat patients for other causes of cognitive impairment if they have a negative Amyvid scan,” said Dr. Rose. “Our patients in the Temecula Valley have a unique opportunity to benefit from the latest technological development in PET/CT imaging.”
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About Temecula Valley Imaging
For more than 25 years Temecula Valley Imaging (TVI) has served the Temecula Valley community. TVI offers a range of advanced imaging services including 3T MRI, PET/CT, Amyvid PET/CT, Coronary CT, Angiography and calcium scores at their six locations. TVI’s radiologist are all board-certified; the majority has subspecialty training that enhances their ability to accurately interpret imaging studies. For more information visit temeculaimaging.com.
About RadNet, Inc.
RadNet, Inc. is a national leader in providing high-quality, cost-effective, fixed-site outpatient diagnostic imaging services through a network of 237 owned and/or operated outpatient imaging centers (inclusive of 23 facilities held in joint ventures). RadNet's core markets include California, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island, New Jersey and New York. Together with affiliated radiologists, and inclusive of full-time and per diem employees and technologists, RadNet has a total of approximately 6,500 employees. For more information, visit RadNet.com.
