In vivo PET of synaptic density as potential diagnostic marker for AD and DLB: Prospective comparison with current imaging markers for neuronal dysfunction and relation to symptomatology

The main objective of this research project is to determine the added value for clinical use of synaptic density imaging using a multimodal simultaneous PET-MR approach in patients with dementia, in particular AD or DLB, and persons developing cognitive dysfunction, by: • assessing the functional burden of disease on the level of the synapse instead synaptic activity/glucose metabolism, • identifying an optimal combination of synaptic density and other PET-MR imaging metrics (perfusion, structural atrophy) that may allow early assessment and risk stratification for cognitive and behavioral dysfunction in de novo patients with uncertain origin of dementia.