The 2008 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD) is under way in Chicago. Organized by the Alzheimer's Association, the event has brought together over 5,000 researchers from around the world to report on current advances in Alzheimer's research, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
The presentations on 27 July 2008 included reports on the latest MRI Technologies. In one study at the Roberts Research Institute and University of Western Ontario in Canada, Scientists customized a clinical strength MRI Scanner to detect amyloid plaques in live rabbits showing Alzheimer's disease pathology. This is significant because in the past, only high-powered MRIs and PET Scanners with Chemical Markers have been able to do this. Conventional MRI Scanners like the one used in the present study are more affordable and available; they also do not expose the subject to radiation like some other methods.
In addition to this study, two other ICAD presentations focused on improvements in MRI Technology.
This is exciting because better imaging procedures could mean earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's and other kinds of dementia, perhaps even before symptoms appear.
(Source: http://alzheimers.about.com/b/a/000105.htm?nl=1)
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