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.

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.

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