Alzheimer's Disease Assessment and Treatment at UCSF
UCSF Imaging’s scientists and physicians are considered world leaders in diagnosis and research for Alzheimer’s disease. They have played a critical role in global developments in both research and patient care, resulting in new diagnostic and treatment advances.
UCSF is one of the world's largest centers for evaluation of cognitive decline and dementia. The team includes renowned researchers and clinicians who work collaboratively across disciplines to support patient care appropriate to diverse and individualized needs. The UCSF Alzheimer’s team prioritizes patient outcomes and works closely with all stakeholders, ranging from their UCSF colleagues to caregivers, patients, and referring providers. We are committed to ensuring that each patient and their family gets the information and care they need.
UCSF Imaging partners with the initiatives and programs described below--UCSF Memory and Aging Center, the Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIND), and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)--to provide a wide range of services to patients in the Bay Area and beyond, and to advance the body of research concerning Alzheimer's disease. The principal imaging tool for diagnosis of Alzheimer’s patients at UCSF is currently the amyloid PET scan. We also are proud to be a site for the Imaging Dementia--Evidence for Amyloid Scanning (IDEAS) Study, a nationwide study to assess the appropriate utilization of amyloid PET.
UCSF Memory and Aging Center
The UCSF Memory and Aging Center has been providing model care for patients and their families for over 20 years, finding innovative ways to understand and cure neurodegenerative diseases, and reaching out to the wider community to raise awareness about these diseases of aging. Learn more.
ADNI
The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative is an ongoing, longitudinal, multicenter study designed to develop clinical, imaging, genetic, and biochemical biomarkers for the early detection and tracking of Alzheimer’s disease. The ADNI study began in 2004 and included 400 subjects diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 200 subjects with early Alzheimer's and 200 elderly control subjects. Learn more.
IDEAS Study
UCSF Imaging is a registered IDEAS imaging site. The IDEAS Study will follow more than 18,000 Medicare beneficiaries to determine the clinical value of amyloid brain PET scan to detect the hallmark brain amyloid accumulation in Alzheimer’s disease. Information from this scan may help exclude underlying Alzheimer’s disease and help guide patient management. Learn more.
Amyloid PET scan for diagnosis
UCSF Medical Center offers an Alzheimer's disease test called an amyloid PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan. The scan visualizes plaques present in the brain, which are prime suspects in damaging and killing nerve cells in Alzheimer's. Before amyloid PET, these plaques could only be detected by examining the brain at autopsy. Amyloid PET imaging represents a potential major advance in the assessment of those with cognitive impairment. Amyloid is a radioactive diagnostic agent for PET imaging of the brain that reflects the beta-amyloid neuritic plaque density in adult patients with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer’s disease. Learn more.
About
The Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco is a leading health sciences center focused on serving patients, conducting research, and training the next generation of radiologists. We are proud to have some of the foremost names in diagnostic, therapeutic, and interventional radiology developing promising new approaches to identify and treat disease. We are a patient-centered team, and are proud that the community recognizes us for our compassion and care.
Get world-class imaging for your patients - How to refer
It is our privilege and pleasure to work with you by providing world-class imaging services to your patients. We look forward to partnering with you to deliver the best possible patient outcomes. Please call our scheduling department at (415) 353-3900 or contact us anytime.
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UCSF Radiology - Alzheimer's Disease Scientists and Physicians
UCSF Imaging faculty physician investigators are involved in a range of national trials, supporting our ability to translate research into improved patient care. We are honored to serve this role in our community because we believe it enables us to offer our patients access to the best care possible.
