Ten
percent of people over age 65 develop the memory loss and
dementia that characterize Alzheimer's disease. In spite of
its prevalence, there is no cure for the little-understood
disease.
Alzheimer's attacks and kills brain cells in a
fairly predictable pattern. The brain's memory center is the
first to suffer, followed by the part of the brain that
controls emotion.
Researchers say the illness kills 5 percent to
10 percent of the patient's brain cells each year, eventually
resulting in disorientation and a total lack of ability to
cope with everyday life.
Though the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are
distinct, it has traditionally been impossible to positively
identify until the patient succumbs and an autopsy can be
performed.
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Tracking
Alzheimer
Computers
and MRI can help doctors track the progression of
Alzheimer's disease.
 
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Researchers
at the University of California, Los Angeles and the
University of Queensland in Australia have used
state-of-the-art technology to create the first
three-dimensional moving images depicting the progression of
Alzheimer's disease.
They gave a dozen volunteers with Alzheimer's
disease magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans periodically
over 18 months. Then, all of the images were fed into a super
computer, which merged them into a basic model. Finally, the
computer created an animation sequence by "morphing" one image
into the next.
The result is a stunning representation of the
human brain being overtaken by a wave of invading disease.
Like a prairie fire, Alzheimer's disease can be seen
enveloping brain cells, which turn red to signify they have
been killed.
Dr. Paul Thompson, from UCLA, is a leading
researcher for the project. He said the results offer clear
implications for better Alzheimer's treatments in the future.
"You actually get a physical picture of how the
devastation of Alzheimer's is spreading across the brain,
which parts of the brain are affected, and how fast," he said.
Thompson points out a single MRI scan can
identify dead brain cells. However, only the new imagery can
clearly show the rate of disease progression, and even a
patient's response to medication.
Doctors will soon be able to use the imagery to
determine exactly how well a given drug is working, and even
where in the brain it is working. Doctors will no longer have
to evaluate a patient's symptoms to make such judgments.
The technology is still in the experimental
stage, but Thompson insists it will not be long before the
time-lapse technique can be put to practical use.
"We will urgently apply this method to reveal
how drugs and vaccines combat the wave of brain damage caused
by Alzheimer's disease," Thompson said.
