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©2009 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
Neuroimaging in human prion disease: Searching in the mist
Panayotis Ioannides, Dimitris Karacostas, Β’ Department of Neurology, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki 54636, Greece
Author contributions: Ioannides P and Karacostas D studied the conception, design of the study, collected, analyzed and interpreted the data, wrote and revised the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Dimitris Karacostas, MD, PhD, B’ Department of Neurology, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki 54636, Greece. bneurol@med.auth.gr
Telephone: +30-2310-994677 Fax: +30-2310-994689
Received: November 18, 2009
Revised: December 22, 2009
Accepted: December 25, 2009
Published online: December 31, 2009
Revised: December 22, 2009
Accepted: December 25, 2009
Published online: December 31, 2009
Abstract
Human prion disease is a rare, uniformly fatal neurodegenerative disorder.Its precise pathogenesis is obscure. The clinical profile of the disease differs among its various forms. There are no definitive diagnostic tests (except for brain biopsy) or proven treatment. To increase the clinical diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, three laboratory tests, including electroencephalogram, cerebrospinal fluid testing for 14-3-3 protein, and magnetic resonance imaging, are currently used. Additionally, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography can provide interesting and novel results in the research of human prion disease.