News Tonight

In a major breakthrough, it has been found that a brain- scanning technique has come out which could make significant impact in the field of Alzheimer’s disease. It was told that as the trial has reached final stage, there are fair chances that this technique would make way by the end of 2012.

The conclusion was made after it was found that a new compound called Flutemetamol could demarcate specific areas of brain that are told to be affected with the disease. The compound is told to be injected into the arm of the patients and then those who produce are made to go through a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan. It was found by researchers that the compound would make the beta amyloid plaques glow red in case they are found in the brain.

During the second phase of the study, 65 patients having AD and other degenerative mental-health conditions were roped in. it was also made clear that there are very less chances that these people would survive even a year. The team performed the trial and found that with the use of Flutemetamol, there was mere 7% chance of wrong diagnoses of Ad patient.

It has been told by the team that there are fair chances that if patients are diagnosed with a positive amyloid scan, they would be suffering from AD at later stage of life.

If reports are to be referred, as many as 342,000 Britons are told to be suffering from the disease. With dementia becoming contentious issue for aged people, experts have claimed that there is link between incidence of AD and family history, head injuries and excessive exposure to aluminum.

In response to the study, Dr Francois Nicolas, director of neurology at GE Health, the company that is developing Flutemetamol, said, “What makes the results so revolutionary is that it makes both a correct and an earlier diagnosis possible for the first time”.