On 29 October, the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), the research center of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, issued a press release, announcing a significant milestone in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. The Neuroimaging Research Group of the BBRC in collaboration with the AMYPAD (Amyloid Imaging to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease) Consortium, has demonstrated the reliability of the Centiloid metric for measuring amyloid plaques, one of the main hallmarks of AD. The work, published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia and conducted across multiple clinical sites, improves diagnostic accuracy, particularly when assessing equivocal cases. The study has provided the basis for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to consider this scale as a valid and robust biomarker of the accumulation of amyloid protein in the brain.
The BBRC team has played a key role in this evaluation. Dr. Mahnaz Shekari, first author of the publication and researcher at the Neuroimaging Research Group at the center, explains that “we have demonstrated the precision of the Centiloid metric in memory clinic patients, establishing it as a reliable biomarker for diagnosing and tracking Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, we offer a comprehensive, easy-to-follow guideline for using the Centiloid metric in amyloid PET quantification, making it accessible to both clinicians and researchers.” The EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recognized the Centiloid Unit as a sensitive and robust universal measure for global amyloid load in the brain when used in clinical trials, provided that appropriate quality control procedures are followed.
This allows for consistent comparisons of amyloid-PET scans across different tracers and procedures, supporting AD clinical trials. With the anticipated rise in anti-amyloid drugs and their broader clinical use, the Centiloid metric will be crucial for evaluating drug efficacy and managing dosing effectively. According to EMA’s Qualified Opinion, “the use of the Centiloid scale can provide a potential baseline measure for future therapy monitoring/follow up scanning”.
