Brain Scan Could Diagnose Alzheimer's 10 Years Before Symptoms

With use of a radioactive dye developed in Pittsburgh, doctors might be able to diagnose Alzheimer's disease 10 years before it strikes. Researchers in Finland have discovered that Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) will attach to brain proteins. In research studies, the compound was 90% effective in predicting the presence of beta amyloid plaques which are indicators of Alzheimer's disease. Amyloids can appear at least 10 years before the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms.

PiB was developed four years ago by Dr. Chester Mathis and Dr. William Klunk, both of the University of Pittsburgh to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease. However, until the ground-breaking Finnish study, the only way to positively validate a diagnosis of Alzheimer's was by post-mortem autopsy. The Finnish study is the first to verify an Alzheimer's diagnosis on live patients.

Using brain surgery patients as subjects, Finnish researchers injected dye intravenously then performed a brain image scan. Results were confirmed by conducting biopsies of tissue taken from the patients' brains during surgery. The new research on live patients may allow doctors to some day test patients for Alzheimer's in time to retard its development.