Alzheimer's Disease: Molecular Imaging For Early Detection May Be Available In Hospitals Within 1 Year

**Admin** Tue Jun 07, 2011 9:02 am

Alzheimer's Disease: Molecular Imaging For Early Detection May Be Available In Hospitals Within 1 Year

Three studies presented at Society of Nuclear Medicine's 58th Annual Meeting are providing new insights into the development of Alzheimer's disease while opening the door to future clinical screening and treatments.

Molecular imaging of Alzheimer's disease is focused on detecting and analyzing the formation of a naturally occurring protein in the brain called beta-amyloid, which researchers now say is directly involved in the pathology of Alzheimer's.

"The aging population around the world is escalating exponentially. From a macro perspective, amyloid imaging with PET scans can help to ascertain the likelihood that individuals will deteriorate cognitively within a few years, thereby enabling more efficient channeling of health care resources," says Kevin Ong, MD, lead author of a presented study and a research scientist at Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

"It turns out that increased amyloid is bad for cognition even in the healthy elderly," says Michael Devous, Sr., PhD, director of neuroimaging for the Alzheimer's Disease Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.

Investigators warn that the beginning stages of the disease can precede symptoms of dementia as much as a decade or more.

"For individuals who have already developed a measurable memory decline, a positive scan for amyloid is the most accurate predictor of progression to Alzheimer's disease," said Christopher Rowe, MD, a lead investigator for the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study of aging and professor of nuclear medicine at Austin Hospital, Victoria, Australia.

Details here:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/227706.php

Alzheimer's Disease: Molecular Imaging For Early Detection May Be Available In Hospitals Within 1 Year Alzhei10

Alzheimer's Disease: Molecular Imaging For Early Detection May Be Available In Hospitals Within 1 Year Alzhei10

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