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MRI scan could detect signs of Alzheimers MARY ANN CHASTAIN/AP/Press Association Images
Live BlogNew research could see Alzheimers detected a decade in advance
MRI scan could provide the key to early warning about the onset of the degenerative disease.
RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND that a simple brain scan could detect signs of Alzheimer’s ten years before symptoms appear.
Scientists at Harvard University have discovered that an MRI scan could provide vital information to potential Alzheimer’s sufferers ten years before any memory loss or confusion is detected, according to The Telegraph. The Harvard scientists, along with researchers at Rush University in Chicago have found that there are telltale markers that may indicate the very early stages of the disease.
They’ve found that a thinning of the outside layer of the brain – the cerebral cortex – can increase chances of developing Alzheimers. The only way to accurately diagnose the disease at the moment is post mortem.
While there is no cure for the disease, the new advanced diagnosis could help in planning for the future and administering treatment. Scientists also say that if a preventative treatment was developed in the coming years, this early brain scan could be vital in delaying or even halting the onset of symptoms.
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