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 29 August 2008 19:29 BST

New test identifies early Alzheimer's disease damage

Tuesday, 26 Sep 2006 14:52
New brain scan technique holds 'promise' for Alzheimer's disease

Health In Focus 

A new computer-aided test has been developed which can detect the early damage caused by Alzheimer's disease (AD), new research claims.

The scientist behind the test believes it could help earlier intervention to slow down the disease's progression.

AD is one of the most common types of dementia, leading to memory loss, confusion and problems with speech. Roughly 750,000 people are thought to be living in the UK with dementia.

Dr Min-Ying Su of the University of California performed brain scans of 26 patients, 13 of whom had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 13 who did not. Patients with MCI are at a high risk of developing AD.

MRI scans were used to assess the level of water distribution in the brain, as AD causes cell membranes to break down, allowing water molecules to move more freely throughout the brain. This process is known as apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC).

Computerised mapping techniques of the scans found that patients with MCI had increased water content in white-matter areas as well as high ADC levels in other areas of the brain.

Dr Su argues that the results prove that the computer-based analysis provides a "comprehensive evaluation" of cellular changes in the brain caused by AD, which have not been reported on before due to the difficulty in obtaining measurements in regions of the brain.

Such an analysis is vital, she added, as "with increasing longevity among the population, the incidence of AD is expected to rise rapidly".

Dr Su concluded that the computer-based test "may enable earlier diagnosis of AD, allowing earlier intervention to slow down disease progression".End of story


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