Brain scan spots dementia before symptoms begin

A study in the journal of Radiology on 148 healthy elderly people and 65 with mild cognitive impairment was published recently. Arterial Spin Labelling a new MRI technique spots cognitive decline and has the potential to serve as a bio-marker in the early diagnosis of preclinical dementia.

In dementia blood flow to parts of the brain are reduced. In early dementia clinical signs are not evident as other parts of the brain compensate for deficits in one area (cognitive reserve).

The most effective treatment for Alzheimer’s is when treatment is started at this early stage when clinical signs are not very evident. Of the 148 healthy people tested 73 deteriorated cognitively 18 months later. All of them showed reduced perfusion when they were initially tested.