Brain Scan Discovered that Could Help Detect the Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

A team at Britain’s Manchester University discovered that a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, usually used to spot cancerous tumours, can diagnose dementia (Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia) in people by measuring their brain activity.

For their research, the scientists analysed 44 healthy people - 40 with Alzheimer's disease and 94 others with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

In the healthy group the scan showed high levels of brain activity by measuring the amount of glucose being used by the cells in the brain. But those with MCI and Alzheimer's the activity was reduced, reports said.

The scientists believe it will give doctors conclusive proof that a patient is set to develop Alzheimer's. At present patients undergo some six months of memory tests before they can receive any results about their condition.