Materials and methods for diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment of stress disorders and conditions associated with A-beta peptide aggregation

A method for detecting, diagnosing, and/or monitoring a condition associated with increased accumulation and/or aggregation of Aβ peptide in neural tissue, said method comprising:

• (a) administering detectably labeled cotinine, or an isomer or racemate thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, to a person or animal;
• (b) detecting and/or quantifying the labeled cotinine at location of neural tissue of the person or animal;
• (c) optionally, repeating steps (a) and (b) at a later time;
• and
• (d) comparing labeled cotinine detected at a location of neural tissue with that of a person or animal free of a condition associated with increased accumulation and/or aggregation of Aβ peptide in neural tissue, or alternatively, that obtained at a different time point for the same person or animal;
• wherein, increased detection of labeled cotinine at a location in the person or animal compared to a person or animal free of a condition associated with increased accumulation and/or aggregation of Aβ peptide in neural tissue indicates that the person or animal may have a condition associated with increased accumulation and/or aggregation of Aβ peptide in neural tissue;
• and wherein, increase or decrease in the accumulation and/or aggregation of Aβ peptide in neural tissue over time in the same person or animal indicates that the person or animal may have increased or decreased severity of the condition associated with increased accumulation and/or aggregation of Aβ peptide in neural tissue, respectively;
• thereby, detecting, diagnosing, and/or monitoring a condition associated with increased accumulation and/or aggregation of Aβ peptide in neural tissue.