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Results of the IDEAS Study just published in JAMA

Alzheimer's Diagnosis, Management Improved by Brain Scans First Phase of Nationwide Study Demonstrates Clinical Impact of Amyloid PET Imaging A ...
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IDEAS Study Reaches Recruitment Goal, Demonstrates Value of PET Scans

A swift and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s has a huge impact on access to treatments and eligibility for research trials, ...
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Alzheimer’s Association supports IDEAS-Study

the study

What

The Imaging Dementia—Evidence for Amyloid Scanning (IDEAS) Study will determine the clinical usefulness on patient-oriented outcomes of a brain positron emission tomography (PET) scan that detects amyloid plaques, a core feature of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to assessing the impact of amyloid PET on management of patients with mild cognitive impairment or dementia of uncertain cause, the study will compare medical outcomes for study participants with matched patients not in the study.

Why

By providing access to amyloid imaging for more than 18,000 Medicare beneficiaries for whom there is ambiguity about the cause of their cognitive decline/dementia, the IDEAS Study seeks to demonstrate that amyloid PET can help clinicians diagnose the cause of cognitive impairment, provide the most appropriate treatments and recommendations, and improve health outcomes. It is anticipated that the evidence obtained by the IDEAS Study will support reimbursement of amyloid imaging by Medicare and other third-party payers.

Who

Patients will be enrolled by qualified, participating dementia specialists and must be a Medicare beneficiary, 65 or older, who meets the appropriate use criteria (AUC) for amyloid PET imaging. Amyloid PET may have greatest value in patients with either: 1) progressive, unexplained mild cognitive impairment; or 2) dementia of uncertain cause due to atypical or mixed symptoms, or unusually early age-of-onset.

Aim 1 Results of IDEAS Published