Recent research shows that a new technique in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can help in the early detection of Dementia before symptoms become evident.
The research was published in the Journal Radiology stating that Arterial Spin Labeling or ASL an MRI technique has the ability to detect early prevalence of the disease without the use of injecting any contrast agent or the increased exposure of patients to radiation through various scanning examinations.
"MRI is simple to perform, doesn't require special equipment and only adds a few minutes to the exam," Dr. Sven Haller of the University of Geneva, study author of the research in Switzerland told in a statement.
Haller also claimed that ASL MRI technique could replace 'Positron emission tomography' or PET scans for measuring brain metabolism that could decrease patient's exposure to radiation.
The study gathered 148 healthy seniors and 65 people with cognitive impairment. The researcher's team revealed that out of the healthy subjects, 73 exhibited cognitive decline after 18 months.
The result showed that the subjects had reduced perfusion in the posterior cingulated cortex upon their ASL MRI examination similar to those who were already diagnosed with the disease.
According to World Health Organization, there are 35.6 million people with dementia in the world in 2010 and the figure is expected to double by 2030 to 65.7 million, and then double again to approximately 115.4 million by 2050.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and in 2014, an estimated 5.2 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer's disease. Prevalence rate shows that one in 8 people in the US age 65 and above and about 50 percent of people age 85 have Alzheimer's disease.
Women are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease compared to men. A woman age 65 or older has 1 in 6 chances of developing Alzheimer's disease in her lifetime comparing to men who only have one to 11 chances.
