Brain Scans May Help Spot Alzheimer’s Risk Before Memory Loss Begins
Summary
Researchers developed a machine-learning model that uses resting-state brain scans to compare brain activity with patterns seen in SuperAgers and people with Alzheimer’s disease. In follow-up data, cognitively unimpaired adults with more Alzheimer’s-like patterns showed faster cognitive decline, more amyloid-beta buildup and a greater likelihood of developing clinical Alzheimer’s disease.Key Facts
- The study introduced the Alzheimer’s Resilience-Vulnerability Connectome, or ARC, to place people along a spectrum of brain activity patterns.
- Researchers trained and evaluated ARC using scans from 180 SuperAgers and 110 people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease; all were at least 75 years old.
- The researchers tested the model in a separate group of 143 people.
- They then applied ARC to 818 slightly younger adults who had no signs of cognitive impairment and were not classified as SuperAgers.
- Follow-up data covered periods of five to 15 years.
- Adults with more Alzheimer’s-like scan patterns had faster cognitive decline and greater amyloid-beta accumulation.
- Those adults were also more likely to progress to clinical Alzheimer’s disease.
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