04.01.11
Brain scanning aids Alzheimer’s research
A small study published today shows that Alzheimer’s disease can be detected years before symptoms appear using new scans that measure the thickness of certain areas of the brain.
The results demonstrated that brain thinness can often lead to the disease in later life and that 55% of those with brains of below average thickness went on to contract Alzheimer’s, whilst none of those with thicker brains did.
The news, published in the journal Neurology, could be extremely beneficial to future treatment for the disease, as the evidence suggests Alzheimer’s starts to develop during middle age. Treatment at this time would therefore be most effective.
Rebecca Wood, the chief executive of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "This adds to growing evidence that the changes associated with Alzheimer's disease begin long before symptoms start to appear.”
"However, this is a small study and it needs to be expanded before we can be certain of the method's accuracy in predicting Alzheimer's.”
One in 14 UK citizens over 65 suffer from Alzheimer’s.
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