.gif) MAPPING ALZHEIMER'S
Though there's no cure
for Alzheimer's Disease, the earlier it's diagnosed, the more
effectively it can be treated. The problem is there's never been a
conclusive way to diagnose the disease's progression until
now.
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 It took dedicated
researchers, and a super computer, to produce this 7-second video
image. What it reveals may change the future of Alzheimer's
Disease.
Paul Thompson, Ph.D.
Professor of
Neurology
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles,
CA
"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."
The sequence is actually a
composite of a dozen patients who had MRI's over a year and a half.
This computer combined the brain scans into a moving image. The red
areas show brain cells dying.
Paul Thompson, Ph.D.
"So
memory areas lose tissue first, and that makes sense 'cause memory
is the first to go, then the emotional areas of the brain, the areas
involved in self control, are the next to go."
For people
like Ray Averill, the new technology could buy time. He's showing
early signs of what may be Alzheimer's.
Ray Averill
Has
early Alzheimer's
"Verbally when I want to talk, I will have
difficulty getting the right word out. Though I know what the word
is, my mouth won't say the right thing."
If Ray does have
early Alzheimer's Disease, the new technology could help get him the
treatment he'll need to slow the progression.
Ray
Averill
"They'll be able to make the change and say, 'Oh, this
isn't gonna be able to work on him. See what's happened here. Now
we'll try this one.'"
Researchers say that may now be
possible thanks to these images that are catching Alzheimer's
red-handed.
Alzheimer's Disease kills off brain cells at a
rate of 5-to-10% a year. As many as seven million americans have the
disease.
HARD TO
DIAGNOSE, IMPOSSIBLE TO CURE: 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.
A NEW LOOK AT AN OLD DISEASE: 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.
Paul Thompson, Ph.D.,
from UCLA, is a leading researcher for the project. He says 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 says. 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.
FAST TRACK: 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. He
says, "We will urgently apply this method to reveal how drugs and
vaccines combat the wave of brain damage caused by Alzheimer's
disease."
UCLA
Alzheimer's Disease Research Center 710 Westwood Plaza , Room 2238
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1769 (310) 206-5238 adc@ucla.edu Paul Thompson, Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of
Medicine 4328 Reed Neurology 710 Westwood Plaza www.loni.ucla.edu/~thompson/thompson.html mailto:adc@ucla.edu
Copyright © 2003 Ivanhoe Broadcast
News, Inc.
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