Researchers the world over are advancing positron emission tomography (PET) as an effective method of early detection for Alzheimer’s disease, a currently incurable and deadly neurological disorder, according to a statement from the Society of Nuclear Medicine.
Three ongoing studies presented at the SNM annual meeting involved several years of research based on hundreds of participants ranging widely in age, cognitive ability and stage of disease.
Molecular imaging using PET scans is focused on detecting and analyzing the formation of a naturally occurring protein in the brain called beta-amyloid, which researchers now say is directly involved in the pathology of Alzheimer’s.
Not only is this important for imaging the disease, but it may also prove to be the key to amyloid-associated therapies and vaccines. Investigators warn that the beginning stages of the disease can precede symptoms of dementia as much as a decade or more.
Results of these studies show that amyloid plaques build up very slowly, by an estimated two to three percent per year, and that they are often already present in healthy older individuals – 12 percent of those in their 60s, 30 percent of those in their 70s and 55 percent in those over the age of 80.
In one study, about 25 percent of subjects over the age of 60 had amyloid plaques. The presence of significant amyloid buildup is linked to quicker memory decline and brain atrophy.
Researchers estimate that amyloid imaging agents will be available for clinical use in fewer than 12 months.