Brain imaging detects patients at risk of Alzheimer's disease

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study shows that patients with mild cognitive impairment who are at risk of dementia have a smaller hippocampus.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition marked by memory problems which may or may not progress to dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. It would be very useful if those at risk of dementia could be pinpointed at the MCI stage. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, now present new research that demonstrates that the size of the hippocampus has an impact on the outcome of MCI.

The hippocampus plays a role in memory and learning and has long been implicated in Alzheimer's disease, where it is said to become smaller. The researchers used a novel 3-D mapping technique on data from magnetic resonance imaging to examine the size of the hippocampus in a group of 20 patients with MCI. They revealed that those with a smaller hippocampus were more likely to develop dementia. This kind of imaging therefore looks promising for counseling patients with MCI and offering them interventions if necessary.

Source
Archives of Neurology May 2006

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