Alzheimer's Disease can begin to leave marks in the brain long before the first signs appear, according to a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience. The research identified brain changes more than seven years before elevated levels of beta-amyloid protein plaques are detected on imaging exams.
The study was conducted by scientists at the University of Oslo, in Norway, led by James Michael Roe, from the Department of Psychology at the institution. The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging scans of healthy individuals performed over several years to monitor brain changes.
The results suggest that changes related to the development of the disease may arise before some markers currently used to identify its initial phases. This indicates that traditional diagnostic methods may not be sensitive enough to detect the disease in its earliest stages.
The discovery may pave the way for earlier diagnoses and more effective interventions in the treatment of Alzheimer's, allowing patients to receive follow-up even before the disease clinically manifests itself.
