IDEAS Study Interim Results Show Clinical Impact of Brain Amyloid PET Scans
IDEAS Study Principal Investigator Gil Rabinovici, MD, of the Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues reported early results from IDEAS assessing changes in patient management in the first 3,979 participants for whom data are complete. The interim results were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in July. Watch video on interim findings.
Changes in medical management were seen in 67.8 percent of MCI and in 65.9 percent of dementia patients. The original hypothesis was that having amyloid PET scan results would change medical management in 30 percent of cases. Dr. Rabinovici, who was featured in AAIC's press briefing, told reporters, "We look forward to reporting the results from the full study population. We are very grateful to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for their support of the IDEAS Study, as our results indicate that access to this technology is making a real difference in the care of patients."
Study Conduct Tips
Referring Physician Practices — Aim 1 to Aim 2 Transition
Enrollment into Aim 1 of the IDEAS Study was completed on July 31. Participants registered after August 1 will be part of the cohort for Aim 2 and will not require a 90-day follow-up visit. Practices are urged to review the email sent on July 26. Schulman IRB did not require practices that they oversee to revise the informed consent, but posted an explanatory letter to be provided to participants. Practices conducting the study with local IRB oversight should review the informed consent to see if revision is needed.
PET Imaging Facilities — Transfer of PET Images
During the informed consent process, IDEAS Study participants may consent to have their PET images transferred to the American College of Radiology (ACR®). If a participant did NOT consent to participate in the image archive portion of the study, the case number will not appear in TRIAD; an imaging facility cannot accidentally upload the image. The participant’s decision may be viewed on the case registration screen.
Reimbursement Reminder
Please remember to check the IDEAS website for sample claim forms and other reimbursement tips and info.
Three Add-On Studies Expand the Power of IDEAS
IDEAS Study participants are invited to volunteer for one, two or all three add-on studies, which are designed to expand the understanding of the aging brain and provide insight for potential dementia treatments. Participants who consented to being contacted regarding future research are presently being called by TrialMatch (a service of the Alzheimer’s Association) and briefed on the below study opportunities. Please note that no action is required from IDEAS physicians.
More Utility of Amyloid PET Research Reported at AAIC 2017
- Research results from two studies (from Norway and Sweden) demonstrated the value of amyloid PET imaging in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease.
- A meta-analysis performed by GE Healthcare found that brain amyloid PET scans led to a change in diagnosis in approximately 20 percent of cases.
- A study from Indiana University School of Medicine indicated that more than 80 percent of people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers are receptive to PET scanning, but limited access is frustrating and leads to continued frequent misdiagnoses.
- A study from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York demonstrated the need for better diagnostic tools for Alzheimer's. Data from 2,144 participants found that Medicare claims frequently misidentified dementia cases.
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