Histogram-based analysis method for the detection and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases

A method for analyzing a brain image histogram for the detection or measurement of a pathologic target in a brain of a patient comprising:

• administering to a patient a radiopharmaceutical capable of binding to a pathologic target in the brain of the patient;
• obtaining image data of the brain of the patient;
• generating a histogram from the image data, wherein the histogram includes intensity versus frequency curves resulting from different populations of binding sites of the radiopharmaceutical in the patient's brain;
• and
• applying a mathematical method of separating or deconvoluting the intensity versus frequency curves.

A method for detecting neurodegenerative disease in a patient comprising:

• administering at least one radiopharmaceutical for detecting a pathologic target associated with a neurodegenerative disease to a patient;
• measuring the distribution of radioactivity of the at least one radiopharmaceutical in a region of the cranium of the patient wherein the pathologic target associated with the neurodegenerative disease is anticipated to be positioned;
• employing computer executable logic to manipulate the measured distribution of radioactivity of the radiopharmaceutical to generate a histogram of intensity and frequency;
• and
• analyzing the characteristics of the histogram to detect and quantitate the presence of the pathologic target associated with the neurodegenerative disease.

A method for predicting the relative risk for future development of a dementia such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) or Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) or Vascular Dementia (VaD) in a subject comprising:

• administering to the subject one or more radiopharmaceuticals that bind to aggregates of β-amyloid, α-synuclein, tau protein or micro-thrombi in the subject's brain;
• obtaining image data of the subject's brain;
• generating an intensity versus frequency histogram from volume elements of the image data;
• and
• evaluating at least one of shape, area, peak value and graphical parameters of the histogram to detect the presence of the aggregates of β-amyloid, α-synuclein, tau protein or micro-thrombi in the subject's brain, wherein the absence of a higher intensity peak in the histogram due to specific binding of the radiopharmaceutical to the pathologic target within the subject's brain is indicative of lower risk of future development of the dementia, and the presence of the higher intensity peak in the histogram due to the specific binding of the radiopharmaceutical to the pathologic target within the subject's brain is indicative of a relatively higher risk for the presence or future development of the dementia.