Neuroimaging advances presented at AAIC 2026 demonstrated significant progress in both PET tracers and MRI techniques for [Alzheimer's disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease) (AD) diagnosis, staging, and treatment monitoring.
PET Tracer Advances
Tau PET Imaging
Second-Generation Tau Tracers
New [tau](/proteins/tau) PET tracers with improved properties were highlighted[@fleisher2024]:
Improved specificity: Reduced off-target binding in basal ganglia and white matter
Broadened disease utility: Applicability to primary age-related tauopathy (PART) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
Kinetic modeling: Simplified quantification methods for clinical use
Tau Pet in Clinical Trials
Tau PET quantification methods for anti-amyloid and anti-tau therapeutics:
Regional tau burden as stratification biomarker
Change metrics for treatment response assessment
Correlation with cognitive outcomes
Amyloid PET Innovations
Novel Tracers
Next-generation amyloid PET tracers offer advantages[@rowe2023]:
Faster kinetics enabling same-day imaging
Improved signal-to-noise ratio
Reduced non-specific binding
Quantitative Approaches
Standardization advances in amyloid PET:
Centiloid scale adoption across studies
Harmonized SUVr methods
Longitudinal change thresholds
Novel Target Tracers
Synaptic PET Imaging
Emerging tracers for synaptic density[@finnema2020]:
...
Imaging Advances at AAIC 2026
Neuroimaging advances presented at AAIC 2026 demonstrated significant progress in both PET tracers and MRI techniques for [Alzheimer's disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease) (AD) diagnosis, staging, and treatment monitoring.
PET Tracer Advances
Tau PET Imaging
Second-Generation Tau Tracers
New [tau](/proteins/tau) PET tracers with improved properties were highlighted[@fleisher2024]:
Improved specificity: Reduced off-target binding in basal ganglia and white matter
Broadened disease utility: Applicability to primary age-related tauopathy (PART) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
Kinetic modeling: Simplified quantification methods for clinical use
Tau Pet in Clinical Trials
Tau PET quantification methods for anti-amyloid and anti-tau therapeutics:
Regional tau burden as stratification biomarker
Change metrics for treatment response assessment
Correlation with cognitive outcomes
Amyloid PET Innovations
Novel Tracers
Next-generation amyloid PET tracers offer advantages[@rowe2023]:
Faster kinetics enabling same-day imaging
Improved signal-to-noise ratio
Reduced non-specific binding
Quantitative Approaches
Standardization advances in amyloid PET:
Centiloid scale adoption across studies
Harmonized SUVr methods
Longitudinal change thresholds
Novel Target Tracers
Synaptic PET Imaging
Emerging tracers for synaptic density[@finnema2020]:
[^11C]UCB-J: SV2A imaging showing synaptic loss in AD
Correlation with cognitive performance
Potential for treatment monitoring
Neuroinflammation Imaging
TSPO and novel microglial imaging targets:
Third-generation TSPO tracers with reduced variability
P2X7 receptor imaging for targeted neuroinflammation
Correlation with disease progression
MRI Advances
Advanced MRI Techniques
Quantitative MRI
New quantitative approaches for clinical implementation[@jack2023]:
QSM (Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping): Iron deposition tracking