Close X
Friday, November 29, 2024
ADVT 
Health

Now, technology to detect Alzheimer's early

Darpan News Desk IANS, 23 Dec, 2014 11:12 AM
    A new non-invasive MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) technology developed by an Indian-origin scientist-led research team can detect Alzheimer's disease in its earliest stages.
     
    The MRI probe can detect the amyloid beta brain toxins responsible for onset of the disease. The accumulated toxins show up as dark areas in MRI scans of the brain.
     
    "Non-invasive imaging by MRI of amyloid beta oligomers (toxins that damage the neurons) is a giant step forward towards diagnosis of this debilitating disease in its earliest form," said Vinayak Dravid, a professor at Northwestern University, US.
     
    This ability to detect the molecular toxins may one day enable scientists to both spot trouble early and better design drugs or therapies to combat and monitor the disease.
     
    "This MRI method could be used to determine how well a new drug is working," Dravid added.
     
    This new MRI probe technology is detecting something different from conventional technology: toxic amyloid beta oligomers instead of plaques, which occur at a stage of Alzheimer's when therapeutic intervention would be very late.
     
    Amyloid beta oligomers now are widely believed to be the culprit in the onset of Alzheimer's disease and subsequent memory-loss.
     
    "We have a new brain imaging method that can detect the toxin that leads to Alzheimer's disease," William Klein from Northwestern University, US, pointed out.
     
    The nontoxic MRI probe was delivered intranasally to mouse models with Alzheimer's disease and control animals without the disease.
     
    In animals with Alzheimer's, the toxins' presence can be seen clearly in the hippocampus in brain's MRI scans.
     
    No dark areas, however, were seen in the hippocampus of the control group.
     
    The study appeared in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

    MORE Health ARTICLES

    Houses Should Be Checked For Radon Gas, Can Cause Lung Cancer

    Houses Should Be Checked For Radon Gas, Can Cause Lung Cancer
    TORONTO — It's a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can seep through cracks and crevices in houses and other enclosed spaces — and can cause lung cancer. Yet many Canadians aren't even aware of its existence or the health risk the substance can pose.

    Houses Should Be Checked For Radon Gas, Can Cause Lung Cancer

    Exercise and fasting could boost brain's functions

    Exercise and fasting could boost brain's functions
    The research on animals showed how intermittent fasting in rats and mice can enhance learning and memory and decrease the risk of degeneration of those...

    Exercise and fasting could boost brain's functions

    Permanent stress may lead to mental disorders

    Permanent stress may lead to mental disorders
    Permanent stress can activate immune cells that can cause changes in the brain, leading to mental disorders such as schizophrenia, shows a study....

    Permanent stress may lead to mental disorders

    How flawed gene can cause deafness

    How flawed gene can cause deafness
    Researchers have found how mutations in a gene called Tmie can cause deafness from birth, suggesting new avenues for therapies aimed at restoring hearing....

    How flawed gene can cause deafness

    Obesity silently damages heart

    Obesity silently damages heart
    Obese people without an overt manifestation of heart disease experience silent cardiac damage that fuels risk of heart failure in the future, with new research...

    Obesity silently damages heart

    Trans fats bad for brain too

    Trans fats bad for brain too
    Every gram of dietary trans fatty acids consumed in a day was linked with 0.76 fewer words recalled, which means 11 fewer words recalled with...

    Trans fats bad for brain too