Is brain SPECT useful in degenerative dementia diagnosis?

Cerebral blood flow assessment performed by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the brain is used to detect early neuronal dysfunction associated with degenerative dementia. Patterns of perfusion abnormalities are different across dementia syndromes. These differences could be used for differential diagnoses and early detection of amnesic mild cognitive impairment in patients with a high risk of conversion to Alzheimer disease. This paper aimed to summarize the expected benefits of single-photon emission computed tomography of the brain in the exploration of degenerative dementias.