New Computer Analysis Detects Early Alzheimer's Disease

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new computer-based technique may help find early cell damage in people who have Alzheimer's disease (AD). This could help patients get treatment sooner and slow the progression of the disease.

As Alzheimer's progresses cell membranes in the brain may be damaged, which lets water molecules move more freely in the brain. This can cause neuron cells to die leading to brain atrophy. The process increases what's called apparent diffusion coefficient, or ADC -- a measurement used to study the distribution of water in the brain.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine developed a computer mapping technique to measure ADC. All participants had magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and had their recall skills tested.

The new program allowed researchers to evaluate ADC values in large regions of the brain. In patients with mild cognitive impairment, they found some brain atrophy and increased water content in white-matter areas. They also found high ADC values in the hippocampus and temporal lobe gray matter. The ADC values in the hippocampus were significantly linked to worse memory performance scores.

Until now ADC values from gray matter have not been reported because they were too difficult to measure. This new technique may help researchers learn more about how AD develops and find better treatments for each patient based on their individual needs.

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SOURCE: Radiology, 2006;241:197-205