MRI detects Alzheimer's up to 7 years before PET scans
Big news for brain health: a new study says MRI scans can pick up signs of Alzheimer's disease up to seven years before the usual PET scans do.
Researchers tracked more than 1,000 people for 16 years, focusing on changes in the thickness of the brain's cortex, meaning doctors might be able to catch Alzheimer's much sooner than before.
Oslo researchers: cortical thinning precedes amyloid
Since Alzheimer's already affects more than seven million Americans 65 and older, finding it earlier could really help.
The study from the University of Oslo found that brain changes start before those amyloid-beta (Ab) plaques at high enough levels show up on PET scans.
Lead author James Michael Roe sees this as a chance for earlier intervention, while co-author Anders Martin Fjell points out it's time to look beyond just amyloid buildup when studying and treating Alzheimer's.