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Diffusion Tensor Imaging Better Detects Earliest Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease ST. PAUL, Minn -- January 6, 2010 -- A new type of brain scan, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), appears to be better at detecting whether a person with memory loss might have brain changes of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the January 6, 2010 online issue of the journal Neurology. “As better medicines for Alzheimer’s disease become available, it will be important to identify people at high risk for the disease as early and accurately as possible so treatment can be most effective,” said Norbert Schuff, PhD, University of California and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, in an accompanying editorial. For the study, 76 healthy people in Rome, Italy aged 20 to 80 years underwent DTI-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scanning, which is more sensitive than traditional MRI for detecting changes in brain chemistry, thereby mapping fiber tracts that connect brain regions. The researchers examined DTI changes in the hippocampus. Participants were given verbal tests and tests that measured visual perception of space between objects. The researchers compared the brain scans and found that changes in DTI imaging better explained declines in memory than did measuring hippocampus volume through a traditional MRI. They found that mean diffusivity in the hippocampus better predicted verbal and spatial memory performance in the participants, especially in those who were aged 50 years and older. “Our findings show this type of brain scan appears to be a better way to measure how healthy the brain is in people who are experiencing memory loss,” said study author Giovanni Carlesimo, PhD, Tor Vergata University in Rome. “This might help doctors when trying to differentiate between normal aging and diseases like Alzheimer’s.” “DTI, along with MRI, could serve as an important tool in understanding how and why a person experiences memory decline,” he said. SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version