New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Mayo Clinic Study Identifies Brain Changes In People Likely To Develop Alzheimer’s Disease

Date:
July 28, 1999
Source:
Mayo Clinic
Summary:
A Mayo Clinic study has shown that 50 percent of a group of elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment who also have a significantly smaller hippocampus portion of the brain are likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as compared to nine percent of patients with a normal size hippocampus.
Share:
FULL STORY

ROCHESTER, MINN. - A Mayo Clinic study has shown that 50 percent of a group of elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment who also have a significantly smaller hippocampus portion of the brain are likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as compared to nine percent of patients with a normal size hippocampus.

The study marks the first time quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to assess the risk of developing typical late-onset Alzheimer’s disease in elderly patients with a mild cognitive impairment.

The hippocampus is a part of the brain that plays a central role in memory function and also shows some of the earliest damage resulting from Alzheimer’s disease. In the study, Clifford Jack, M.D., a Mayo Clinic radiologist and the study’s principle author, and a team of Mayo Clinic researchers measured the volume of the hippocampus of patients with a clinical diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. Prior studies have shown that many of these patients will progress to Alzheimer’s disease in the future.

"This study provides valuable information for patients who are concerned about forgetfulness and whether their memory impairment will lead to Alzheimer’s disease," says Dr. Jack. "We are able to non-invasively measure the part of the brain that we know shrinks with the advent of Alzheimer’s disease and provide some indication to patients whether their chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease are high, low or in-between."

"Planning for the future is very important to elderly patients and their families," says Dr. Jack. "This information can help patients and families make future arrangements. It may also help us identify people who would benefit from interventional treatment before the onset of overt Alzheimer’s disease, with the goal of delaying or preventing patients from declining into Alzheimer’s disease."


Story Source:

Materials provided by Mayo Clinic. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

Mayo Clinic. "Mayo Clinic Study Identifies Brain Changes In People Likely To Develop Alzheimer’s Disease." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 July 1999. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/07/990728073646.htm>.
Mayo Clinic. (1999, July 28). Mayo Clinic Study Identifies Brain Changes In People Likely To Develop Alzheimer’s Disease. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/07/990728073646.htm
Mayo Clinic. "Mayo Clinic Study Identifies Brain Changes In People Likely To Develop Alzheimer’s Disease." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/07/990728073646.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES