Brain Imaging and Proteins in Spinal Fluid may Improve Alzheimer's Prediction, Diagnosis

Changes in the brain measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans, combined with memory tests and detection of risk proteins in body fluids, may lead to earlier and more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to new research.

The study's findings were reported July 14, 2009, at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna, Austria. The U.S. National Institute on Aging's (NIA) Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data, from which forms the basis of the study, is a US$60 million, five-year, public-private partnership to test whether imaging technologies (such as MRI and PET), other biomarkers, and clinical and neuropsychologic assessment can be combined to measure progression toward AD. ADNI is the first study to examine a number of candidate Alzheimer's biomarkers in the same individuals. The study is expected to be a landmark for identifying AD biomarkers, with data widely available to researchers.

A biomarker is a substance or characteristic that can be objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal body processes, disease processes, or the body's response(s) to therapy. For example, blood pressure is a biomarker that indicates risk of cardiovascular disease. "With the continued aging of the population and the growing epidemic of Alzheimer's, early detection of the disease is crucial for risk assessment, testing new therapies, and eventual early intervention with better drugs, once they are developed,” said Ronald Petersen, Ph.D., M.D., chair or the Alzheimer's Association Medical & Scientific Advisory Council.

Dr. Petersen is professor of neurology and Alzheimer's disease research and director of Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine (Rochester, MN; USA). He is one of the lead investigators of ADNI. He concluded, "It is widely believed that Alzheimer's disease brain changes, including amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, begin many years before we see symptoms. It is critical to identify affected individuals while they are still relatively cognitively healthy so that future therapies can preserve healthy memory and thinking function. And, in order to develop those new therapies, we need to identify ‘at risk' individuals now in order to steer them to clinical trials.”

Related Links:
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine