Research shows the spatial pattern of pathological changes in the brain can help identify dementia vulnerability decades before it occurs

Findings from a study suggest that using a specialized diffusion weighted MRI scan to monitor the spatial pattern of individual cortical microstructural change in the brain may be a promising approach to characterize individuals who may be vulnerable to developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) prior to significant cognitive decline and irreversible neuronal damage. Identifying early markers of AD-related neurodegeneration can fundamentally shift the timeline of risk identification, providing precious time for disease-modifying treatments such as those recently approved by the FDA.