PET Tracks Neuron Cell Death in Alzheimer's

Utilizing a chemical marker called MPPF and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging scans, researchers measured the amount of serotonin receptors 1A found in neurons abundantly present in the hippocampus. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), these neural cells die, causing the hippocampus to atrophy and shrink.

This new imaging strategy may help clinicians monitor neuronal cell decline in the hippocampus in individuals that precede clinical symptoms, providing a new way to understand disease progression and a potentially accurate new tool for early diagnosis of AD and dementia. The new PET technique is currently under patent application.

The investigators of the study include Dr. Jorge R. Barrio, professor of medical and molecular pharmacology at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA; USA) and Dr. Gary Small, a professor with the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. The study was published in the January 9, 2006, issue of the journal Proceedings of the [U.S.] National Academy of Sciences.

Using this new strategy, UCLA researchers discovered density decreases of the hippocampus and other critical memory centers in 49% of AD patients and a 24% reduction in patients with mild cognitive impairment. "We hope this new method will lead us to a better understanding of Alzheimer's disease as well as a new strategy for early detection,” said Dr. Barrio. "A shrinking hippocampus is a hallmark sign of Alzheimer's disease, and this new marker will offer a useful strategy for early detection and more effective treatment,” commented Dr. Small.




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