A small amount of a tracer that sticks to amyloid in the brain is administered through an IV. The substance is not dangerous and disappears from the body through urine within a few hours. The tracer has no side effects. Once the tracer has been administered, you should wait a while so that your body has time to absorb it. During this waiting period you have to rest, but you can, for example, read a book or magazine or use other media, such as watching a movie on your phone.
If the substance is sufficiently absorbed, both a PET scan and a CT scan are made. It is important that you lie still during the PET-CT scan, which is why there will be a band around your head to support you. The computer then combines the results of the two scans. This makes it easier to see where the tracer is absorbed in the brain and helps to locate amyloid deposits. The scan takes up to a total 60 minutes. The entire examination, from administration of the substance with the waiting period to the end of the scan, takes about 2 hours.