Using MRI's To Find Biomarkers For Alzheimer's Disease

Are you at risk? Senior citizens considered to be at a high risk to develop Alzheimer's disease may be able to gain a proper diagnosis - long before the actual symptoms start to occur. That means before memory lapses begin to interfere with your day-to-day life and prior to missing appointments and skipping out on lunch dates.... it could be possible to gain a diagnosis. A new study found that an MRI brain imaging technique (one that doesn't use radiation) could actually detect the earliest signs of impending cognitive problems. This could potentially make it simpler to obtain a diagnosis. What did the study actually entail?
It consisted of 148 senior citizens, some who had not been diagnosed with a brain disease and 65 who already had signs of mild cognitive impairment. The brain imaging technique was used to look for low blood flow in the posterior cingulated cortex. That method is thought to predict whether or not mental decline could occur within the next 18 months of life. The brain imaging technique itself is known as arterial spin labelling. This research was conducted in the Netherlands and Switzerland before being published in the recent scientific journal, Radiology. The findings of the research also found that there were two other neuropsychological tests that could be used to predict mental decline.
The participants involved in the study were given tests and their brains were scanned using the brain imaging technique. After the 18-month period, the participants were then divided into two separate groups. They were: those with stable cognitive function and those with deteriorating cognitive function. The results from the original scans were compared to the group's latest scans. The pattern of "low blood flow to the posterior cingulate cortex was highly evident in the scans of subjects with mild cognitive impairment." The participants in the study who had normal blood flow to this area of the brain tended to have no shift in cognitive impairment by that 18-month follow up mark.
The authors of the research study found that this brain imaging technique may be able to help those who have a naturally higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The sooner patients and doctors understand the risk of cognitive decline, the sooner preventative steps can be taken - and plans can be made about future care. Why is this so important? Not only would patients have the luxury of an earlier diagnosis, but it would also be a way for doctors and researchers to find out which Alzheimer's disease therapies are working effectively on their patients. The benefit of using arterial spin labelling as opposed to other brain imaging techniques? This specific one does not introduce contrast dye into the brain. Rather, scientists can magnetically tag water protons within circulating blood to make them visible.
With each new way of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, early detection becomes more and more possible. This is promising for both patients and researchers. Early detection means more options for preventative treatments and potential drug therapies. It also gives men and women dealing with the disease hope that they can live a fuller, longer life.
Dr. David Tal has more than twenty years of clinical experience. He currently works at the Age Matters Clinic and strongly believes that medical treatment can improve the life of Alzheimer's and memory loss patients.