Early Detection of Dementia: New Brain Scan Predicts Onset Up to Nine Years in Advance
A new brain scan can predict the likelihood of developing dementia up to nine years before a traditional diagnosis, with an accuracy of about 80%, according to recent research. The scan, developed by examining MRI images of individuals who later developed dementia and comparing them to those who did not, detects early changes in brain function indicative of dementia.
Professor Charles Marshall from Queen Mary University of London explained that the test identifies alterations in the brain’s resting state before any behavioral symptoms emerge, acting as an early sign of cognitive decline. Currently, the test isn’t precise enough for widespread screening due to the risk of false positives but could be valuable when combined with other diagnostic methods like blood and biomarker tests.
Marshall suggests that individuals identified as high risk by the scan might take extra measures to maintain brain health, such as improved diet and sleep, and possibly participate in preventive intervention trials. Early identification is crucial for developing and testing Alzheimer’s treatments, which are most effective when administered before significant disease progression.
The scan, which takes about six minutes in an MRI machine, focuses on the brain’s default mode network, an area known to be vulnerable in the early stages of dementia. This network is active during introspective activities like daydreaming and is critical to the brain’s sense of self.
While the findings are promising, they need to be validated with larger populations. The study utilized data from the UK Biobank, revealing that on average, the detectable brain changes appeared over 3.5 years before a formal diagnosis, with some cases showing changes up to nine years prior.
At present, many dementia cases go undiagnosed, and current diagnoses largely rely on cognitive and behavioral assessments. With new drugs showing potential to slow the progression of dementia, there’s a pressing need for more reliable diagnostic methods.
4o
Newer Articles
- Ancient Viruses Embedded in Human DNA
- Midlife Health Woes? Magnesium Deficiency Might Be to Blame
- Netflix’s Spooky Season: Top Picks and New Releases for October 2024
