From: hounddog23x@gmail.com   
      
   Scientists find possible Alzheimer's risk predictor   
   (13th January 2015 7:13 PM)   
      
   UNIVERSITY of Queensland scientists have found that magnetic resonance imaging   
   (MRI) could be used to predict the risk of onset of Alzheimer's disease.   
      
   The study analysed data from more than 220 elderly people, including 145   
   healthy people, 40 showing mild cognitive impairment, and 38 with the disease.   
      
   Associate Professor Elizabeth Coulson at UQ's Queensland Brain Institute, who   
   led the study, said often too much damage was done before medication was   
   administered.   
      
   "If we can give the existing drugs to people earlier, when they first display   
   evidence of a decline in their basal forebrain, even perhaps before they are   
   diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, then hopefully those drugs will be more   
   effective," she said.   
   Advertisement   
      
      
   The study, which was published in the journal Neuroimage: Clinical, found   
   people with a shrinking basal forebrain were seven times more likely to have   
   worsened cognitive function within 18 months.   
      
   More than 330,000 Australians have the condition and many are treated with   
   cholinergic drugs that target the basal forebrain that degenerates with the   
   condition.   
      
   Geriatrician and Prince Charles Hospital internal medicine services head of   
   research Dr Eamonn Eeles (correct) agreed the outcomes of using such drugs   
   could be improved if they were given to patients earlier.   
      
   The study's lead author and QBI PhD student Georg Kerbler (correct) said they   
   were working on validating the findings so a method to assess basal forebrain   
   dysfunction could be rolled out into hospitals.   
   Advertisement   
      
      
   "Our MRI method is currently a specialised research tool, and routine   
   diagnosis needs to be performed in hospital MRI departments," Mr Kerbler said.   
      
   - APN NEWSDESK   
      
      
      
   http://m.news-mail.com.au/news/scientists-find-possible-alzheime   
   s-risk-predictor/2510228/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)