Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans may help identify Alzheimer's disease in its early stages by identifying lesions in the brain associated with Alzheimer's. Two studies recently published in the Archives of Neurology show that PET scans can distinguish between normal brains and those of patients showing early signs of Alzheimer's.
The PET scans highlighted amyloid protein plaques in the brain. These plaques frequently occur in Alzheimer's patients and some theories say that the plaques may actually be involved in causing Alzheimer's.
PET scans work by attaching small amounts of radioactive tracers to biologically active compounds, such as glucose. The compounds are then injected into the body while the PET scanner traces their locations as they move through the body. PET scans are frequently done along with CT scans to gain better 3-D images.
Both studies looked at relatively small numbers of patients, one dealing with 19 patients and the other with less than 200 patients.
The other difficulty with the method of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease is that there is currently no treatment for the disease.
