Study finds Alzheimer's can be detected early

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Washington (dpa) - Changes in the memory-making area of the brain can signal Alzheimer's disease nine years before symptoms set in, U.S. researchers found.

The scientists at the New York University School of Medicine led by Dr. Lisa Mosconi conducted advanced imaging of the brains of 53 healthy elderly subjects from 10 to 24 years and found that declining energy usage in the part of the brain known as the hippocampus indicated Alzheimer's or other memory impairment.

They examined the levels of brain glucose metabolism. Glucose metabolism is the major energy source of the brain and is a sensitive indicator of brain damage.

Six of the subjects developed Alzheimer's disease and 19 showed mild cognitive impairment, the researchers said in presenting their study Sunday at the first Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia in Washington.

By comparing the brains of the unaffected subjects and those with memory problems, that reductions in glucose metabolism were seen in 83 per cent of those patients who developed Alzheimer's and 79 per cent of those with mild cognitive impairment, indicating that glucose metabolism could predict memory problems down the road.

"This is the first brain-imaging study to demonstrate detection of sporadic Alzheimer's disease in normal elderly subjects," Mosconi said. "This data suggests that the recognition of future Alzheimer's disease in a person who is cognitively normal is a realistic goal."

Dr. William Thies, the head of research at the Alzheimer's Association, added that now, most people with Alzheimer's are only diagnosed in moderate or advanced stages of the disease.

"Earlier identification of Alzheimer's may enable earlier treatment and empower people to plan for their future sooner, including financial and legal matters," he said.

The studies of the brain were done with PET scans, or Positron Emission Tomography, which were done two to three times during the study.

Although there are ethical issues about whether patients should be informed before they show symptoms of an as-yet incurable disease, the research paved the way for early detection that could help when treatments, even cures, might be available down the road.

In other research presented at the conference, scientists found that lifestyle had an affect on who developed Alzheimer's. For instance, U.S. and Japanese researchers found that people who drink fruit or vegetable juice at least three times a week reduced their chances of developing Alzheimer's by 75 per cent.

The researchers said after conducting the study of 1,800 elderly Japanese Americans that they believed high levels of antioxidants in juice called polyphenols protect the brain. However, they found no benefit for the brain when their subjects took antioxidants via dietary supplements.

A study of 100 sets of Swedish twins in which one twin developed Alzheimer's and the other did not did not show a single risk factor for the disease but indicated the twin with dementia was more likely to have had a stroke; gum disease early in life, which exposes people to inflammation; and fewer years of education.

A study conducted of 2,513 elderly Japanese American men found that declining social activity, such as infrequent contact with friends and family later in life as well as a lack of involvement in the community and in mentally stimulating activities, might increase a person's risk of dementia.