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Posted on 06/22/2008 3:46:59 PM PDT by neverdem
The leader of the team that made the discovery, Professor Christopher Rowe of the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, says early diagnosis and treatment presents medical practitioners with the best opportunity to delay the onset of Alzheimer's.
"While the discovery is at an experimental stage, this work places Australia at the forefront of neuro-imaging in Alzheimer's disease," Professor Rowe says.
A 2004 Access Economics report calculated that if the average age of onset of Alzheimer's was raised by just five months, cumulative savings of A$1.3 billion would be realised by 2020 rising to A$6.6 billion by 2040.
Alzheimer's disease is characterised by very high levels of a molecule called beta-amyloid in the brain. The project has demonstrated that a neuro-imaging scan called PiB PET can be used to identify individuals who will develop Alzheimer's disease up to 18 months earlier than all currently available diagnostics.
PiB PET can show the beta-amyloid in the brain which potentially allows clinicians to distinguish patients with early Alzheimer's disease from others without the disease, even before clear signs of memory loss are present.
The research was undertaken as part of the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) Flagship
Study of Ageing.
The AIBL Flagship Study of Ageing is a collaboration initiated by the CSIRO Preventative Health National Research Flagship. AIBL is a joint activity between the University of Melbourne, Edith Cowan University - Western Australia, Neurosciences Australia, Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria and National Ageing Research Institute, and the Preventative Health Flagship.
The leader of the AIBL study, Professor David Ames, says the study has the potential to markedly reduce the burden this disabling illness places on both individuals and society.
"Early presymptomatic diagnosis is an essential development which will allow us to test new disease modifying therapies with the aim of delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease in susceptible individuals," Professor Ames says.
The Director of CSIRO's Preventative Health National Research Flagship, Dr Richard Head, says the result highlights the value of a national collaborative team working together on one of Australia's biggest challenges.
Alzheimer's Australia has worked closely with AIBL to attract and co-ordinate the many volunteers who have made this study possible.
"Alzheimer's Australia is pleased to be part of this very exciting research and we look forward to its continuation," Alzheimer's Australia National Executive Director, Glenn Rees, says.
The findings were presented at international meetings in the USA on June 16 and will be presented in July at the International Conference on Alzheimer's disease in Chicago.
The AIBL Flagship Study of Ageing is a collaboration initiated by the CSIRO Preventative Health National Research Flagship. AIBL is a joint activity between the University of Melbourne, Edith Cowan University - Western Australia, Neurosciences Australia, Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria and National Ageing Research Institute, and the Preventative Health Flagship. The Biomedical Imaging Team from the Australian eHealth Research Centre is collaborating with the AIBL Study by developing image analysis methods to quantify disease progression with Magnetic Resonance and Positron Emission Tomography images.
National Research Flagships
CSIRO initiated the National Research Flagships to provide science-based solutions in response to Australia's major research challenges and opportunities. The nine Flagships form multidisciplinary teams with industry and the research community to deliver impact and benefits for Australia.
Source: Professor David Ames CSIRO Australia
Not the same study, but you get more of an explanation of the technique.
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did you ever hear anything about that eye test that was supposed to early diagnose? They hyped it on the evening news probably five years ago as one of those serendipitous findings but I’ve never heard anything about it again.
Blocking TGF-beta–Smad2/3 innate immune signaling mitigates Alzheimer-like pathology
IIRC, you're interested in protein folding. This might interest you.
I don't recall it. No sarcasm, my mind is still intact.
To FReep. Duh!
Avoid ingesting aluminum.
Fact: All Alzheimer's victims have aluminum deposits in there brains.
Bathroom?
I seem to remember a rather tenuous link at best once further studies were completed in the 90’s.
If you wear a tin foil hat, you are more likely to have Alzheimer's. "Tin" foil is really aluminum foil. Also, "Alzheimer's" contains the chemical symbol for aluminum, Al.
Seriously, I thought the Al->Alzheimer's link had been discredited. The amyloid plaques just seem to trap metals, I thought; the plaques are the real problem.
“A potential noninvasive neurobiological test for Alzheimer’s disease”
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/266/5187/1051
oh my goodness, 1994! that looks like the study I remember hearing about. I guess it came to naught. Thank you.
btt
Avoid ingesting aluminum.
Fact: All Alzheimer's victims have aluminum deposits in there brains.
Maybe they got the wrong genes? You can't avoid it. It's all over the place.
Public Health Statement for Aluminum (Aluminio) Draft for Public Comment September 2006
However, it should be noted that aluminum is a very abundant and widely distributed element and will be found in most rocks, soils, waters, air, and foods. You will always have some exposure to low levels of aluminum from eating food, drinking water, and breathing air.
Chinese UFO Looks Like Emergency Life Raft, Spies on You
Poll: most Britons doubt cause of climate change
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
bmp
Thanks for the ping.
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I discovered this last year, but then I forgot about it.