How Brian Imaging Could Help Predict Alzheimers Essay

How Brian Imaging Could Help Predict Alzheimers - Essay Example To date there is a lack of reliable drug that can be used to decelerate the progress of Alzheimer’s disease. Although many drugs have been tested scientists and drug manufacturers blame the timing when these drugs have been administered to patients of the disease. They claim that many of the drugs are administered at a time when the progress of the disease makes it difficult for any significant improvement to take place. The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly developed gamma secretase inhibitor but this drug didn’t prove successful. Sangram Sisodia, director of the Center for Molecular Neurobiology at the University of Chicago explained that the drug was tested on the wrong group of patients. New studies, however, have shown that there is hope for Alzheimer’s patients. Recent presentations at the Society for Neuroscience conference recently held in San Diego showed that brain imaging may help in the prediction of the disease. Researchers believed that changes in the brain will help to qualify patients to undergo clinical tests of new drugs. They are also hopeful that brain imaging will help in the selection of persons for clinical testing before dementia is developed. Reliable drugs testing can become possible if persons found with mild cognitive impairment are used for clinical testing as indicated by recent researches. Not everyone who has this condition will develop Alzheimer’s as revealed by a graduate student of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The study highlighted the substantia innominata section of the brain. Of the 47 persons who had mild cognitive impairment, 22 developed Alzheimer’s over a six year period. They were found to have significant thinning in three connected areas of the cortex involved in memory, attention, and integration of sensor and motor integration. A second study revealed that the caudate nucleus section of the brain shrunk significantly in elderly persons diagnosed with

Brainscapes Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Brainscapes - Case Study Example Concentration of sodium (Na+) ions in the intracellular and extracellular space of tissues was the major identifier of hippocampus atrophy (with dead neurons). According to this case, brain tissues showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) had dead neurons and appear smaller than usual by expansion of the extracellular space and shrinkage of intracellular space. 2. Expected Sodium Concentration Changes The change of sodium concentration in the hippocampus region is used to differentiate healthy tissues from diseased ones in that unhealthy tissues have shrunk. It follows then that the hippocampus volume or processes are directly correlated with sodium concentration within and without the extracellular and intracellular space. Decreased volume of the hippocampus can possibly occur when neurons inside have died or are not functioning at their optimum levels. One expected change or difference is a difference in concentration of sodium ions in extracellular space and intracellular space commonly called a gradient difference. This differential concentration of sodium gradient normally occurs due to defects of Na+/K+ ATPase pump which may be blocked. Brain tissues afflicted by AD usually have a smaller volume than normal ones and identified by extracellular space that is expanded as well as shrinkage of the intracellular space. 3. Additional Information from Outside Sources Journal Article: Tissue Sodium Concentration in Human Brain Tumors as Measured with 23Na MR Imaging. Sourced from Radiology Journal Journal article: Brain tissue sodium concentration in multiple sclerosis: a sodium imaging study at 3 tesla. Sourced from National Center for Biotechnology Information database Journal Article: Na+ and K+ ion imbalances in Alzheimer's disease. Sourced from National Center for Biotechnology Information database Journal article: Distribution of Brain Sodium Accumulation Correlates with Disability in Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-sectional 23Na MR Imaging Study. Sour ced from Radiology Journal 4. Outside Sources Contribution to the case The source (Ouwerkerk, Ronald, et al.) asserts that the concentration gradient difference of Na in tissues can be used to differentiate healthy tissues from affected one. Another source (Inglese, M., et al.) has findings that mechanisms of injury can be diagnosed through Na magnetic imaging. The third source (Vitvitsky V.M.) is of the opinion that failure of previous research come up with findings on cell homeostasis can be a basis of understanding development and progression of AD. Finally the last source (Zaaraoui, Wafaa, et al.) comes up with the finding that tissue injury can be diagnosed with NA imaging. 5. Case Study Finding that is Consistent with other Sources All the sources normally use differential concentration gradient of sodium in the intracellular space and extracellular space to come up with their findings. In this manner, atrophic tissues are identified from healthy ones after imaging. 6. Inconcl usive information with Sodium Concentration Changes Although using differential concentration to assay for atrophic tissues and organs can be very effective, it can also give wrong misdiagnosis especially when movement of sodium ions is impeded by other factors. For example, there can be sodium ions leakage due to a defective Na+K+ ATPase pump. 7. Resolution of the Case Sodium imaging can be a helpful technique