Mapping Alzheimer's
LOS ANGELES (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- 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.
It took dedicated researchers, and a super computer, to produce
this seven-second video image. What it reveals may change the future
of Alzheimer's disease.
"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," says Paul Thompson, Ph.D., Professor of
Neurology at University of California, Los Angeles.
The sequence is actually a composite of a dozen patients who had
MRIs over a year and a half. This computer combined the brain scans
into a moving image. The red areas show brain cells dying.
Thompson says: "Memory areas lose tissue first. 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. "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,"
he says.
If Averill does have early Alzheimer's disease, the new
technology could help get him the treatment he'll need to slow the
progression. "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,'" says Averill.
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 percent
to 10 percent a year. As many as 7 million Americans have the
disease.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical
Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
If you would like more information, please
contact:
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
Los Angeles, CA
90095-1769
thompson@loni.ucla.edu
http://www.loni.ucla.edu/~thompson/thompson.html
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