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Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Earlier Detection of Alzheimer's Disease Made
Possible by New Discovery
Faster detection can lead to beneficial early
treatment
 September 26, 2006 Comparing the fight against
Alzheimer's disease to a boxing match, it appears that AD just took a
blow to the body. It was not intended as a knockout, just another punch
to break down the defenses. The similar blow against AD is the discovery
of a new technique that can enable early detection of the disease, which
can lead to faster beneficial treatment.
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Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health |
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Researchers report in the October issue of
Radiology they have developed a new computer-aided analysis technique
that can
identify early cellular damage found in AD.
"With increasing longevity among the population,
the incidence of AD is expected to rise rapidly, creating a great burden
not only for patients and their families, but also for society," said
Min-Ying Su, Ph.D., author and associate professor in the Department of
Radiological Sciences & the Tu and Yuen Center for Functional Onco-Imaging
at the University of California at Irvine.
"Our methods may enable earlier diagnosis of AD,
allowing earlier intervention to slow down disease progression," she
added.
As AD progresses, cell membranes in the brain may
be damaged, allowing water molecules to move throughout the brain more
freely. This phenomenon can disrupt neural processes and cause neuron
cells to die, leading to brain atrophy.
This process of cellular damage causes an increase
in the "apparent diffusion coefficient," or ADC, which is a measurement
used to study the distribution of water in the brain.
Thirteen elderly patients with mild cognitive
impairment (MCI) were enrolled in Dr. Su's study. Patients with MCI are
at high risk for developing AD. These 13 patients and 13 elderly control
subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and
performed recall tasks. On MRI images, ADC values were measured in gray-
and white-matter regions by using the computer-aided analysis program.
Findings were compared between patients and healthy controls.
The computerized mapping technique allowed
researchers to evaluate ADC values in large regions of the brain. In
patients with MCI, researchers identified regions of brain atrophy and
increased water content in white-matter areas. Additionally, high ADC
values were found in the hippocampus, temporal lobe gray matter and the
corpus callosum, which connects the two cerebral hemispheres. The ADC
values in the hippocampus were significantly correlated with worse
memory performance scores.
"The results have supported our objective to
develop a computer-based analysis technique that can analyze different
regions in the entire brain, to provide a comprehensive evaluation of
cellular changes," Dr. Su said.
Until now, ADC values from gray matter in various
lobes of the brain have not been reported, due to the difficulty of
obtaining measurements in these regions. This new technology may allow
researchers to learn more about how AD develops in the brain and to
cultivate better treatment strategies for patients based on their
individual cognitive needs.
"Patients with MCI who are very likely to progress
to AD may start early treatment interventions, while patients who may
remain stable with MCI can be spared from treatment and the associated
side effects," added Dr. Su. "The diagnostic accuracy in identifying AD
needs to be greatly improved."
AD is the most common form of dementia, affecting
more than 4.5 million Americans. Patients diagnosed with AD have an
average life expectancy of eight years after initial symptoms appear.
Notes:
Radiology is a monthly scientific journal devoted
to clinical radiology and allied sciences. The journal is edited by
Anthony V. Proto, M.D., School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth
University, Richmond, Va. Radiology is owned and published by the
Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (RSNA.org/radiologyjnl)
The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)
is an association of more than 38,000 radiologists, radiation
oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to
promoting excellence in radiology through education and by fostering
research, with the ultimate goal of improving patient care. The Society
is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)
"Mild Cognitive Impairment: Apparent Diffusion
Coefficient in Regional Gray Matter and White Matter Structures."
Collaborating with Dr. Su on this paper were Kimberly M. Ray, M.D.,
Huali Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Yong Chu, Ph.D., Ya-Fang Chen, M.D., Alberto
Bert, Ph.D., and Anton N. Hasso, M.D.
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