Do I Have Alzheimer’s Disease? Just One Brain Scan May Tell

June 22, 2022 – A azygous brain scan whitethorn someday connection an aboriginal diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Using artificial quality to look astatine structures successful the brain, researchers successful the United Kingdom developed an algorithm that tin find – with 98% accuracy – whether idiosyncratic has the illness from a azygous MRI scan.

The instrumentality could besides archer the quality betwixt aboriginal and late-stage dementia successful 79% of cases.

"Currently, nary different elemental and wide disposable methods tin foretell Alzheimer’s illness with this level of accuracy, truthful our probe is an important measurement forward," Eric Aboagye, PhD, a prof with Imperial College London, who led the research, said successful a quality release.

"Most radical volition spell done rather a raft of tests to get to a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, and this instrumentality whitethorn pb to a quicker diagnosis and trim anxiousness for patients," helium said.

Doctors whitethorn beryllium capable to usage this accusation to refine and modify the diagnosis, helium said.

To make their method, researchers divided the encephalon into 115 regions and assessed each portion for cardinal features specified arsenic size, shape, and texture. Using instrumentality learning, they trained an algorithm to place wherever changes to these features could accurately foretell the beingness of Alzheimer’s disease.

This probe addresses the "important" contented of aboriginal detection of Alzheimer’s disease, says Rebecca Edelmayer, PhD, elder manager of technological engagement for the Alzheimer's Association.

"It is captious that individuals with Alzheimer’s beryllium diagnosed aboriginal successful the illness process erstwhile attraction whitethorn beryllium astir beneficial," she says.

Early detection besides allows radical and their families much clip to program for the future, instrumentality portion successful objective trials, and question assemblage resources, Edelmayer says.

But she cautions that this probe is successful its aboriginal days, and this instrumentality is not acceptable to beryllium utilized arsenic a "standalone" trial for Alzheimer’s but volition request much investigating successful a much divers radical of people.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, much than 6 cardinal Americans person the disease. By 2050, this fig is projected to emergence to astir 13 million.