A study led by researchers at the University of Oslo, published in Nature Neuroscience, indicates that brain imaging may detect changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease more than seven years prior to the appearance of amyloid plaques, which are currently considered the earliest detectable sign of the disease using amyloid-PET scans. The research, conducted over nearly two decades, involved regular MRI scans of healthy individuals, allowing the team to identify structural brain changes in participants who later developed plaques compared to those who did not.

The findings suggest that structural alterations in the brain occur well before plaques become visible on PET scans, challenging the sensitivity of the current gold standard imaging technique. According to the study’s lead researcher, James Michael Roe, these early structural changes could serve as a more sensitive marker for tracking Alzheimer’s progression before the onset of cognitive symptoms, potentially aiding in earlier detection. The researchers propose two possible explanations for these early changes: either harmful processes contributing to or resulting from plaque accumulation are already active, or other biological mechanisms are inducing brain alterations independent of amyloid plaque buildup. The latter scenario may have significant implications for the development of future Alzheimer’s therapies that target processes beyond amyloid plaque accumulation.

Source: ScienceDaily - “Alzheimer’s may leave a mark on the brain long before plaques appear”

This is a summary. Read the original at sciencedaily.com.