香港六合彩中特网

A new brain scan being tested at 香港六合彩中特网 Institute of Neurology to identify Alzheimer鈥檚 disease 15 years before symptoms appear was featured on Horizon this month.

The PET (emission tomography) scan can locate and measure amyloid and tau, the proteins responsible for Alzheimer鈥檚 that can appear in the brain years before, by using radioactive tracers to search for them.

鈥淲e think amyloid and tau build up for 10-15 years before we see the first signs of forgetfulness. These things are gradually accumulating under the surface. To all intents and purposes we are fine. There will be a time when we won鈥檛 have to wait until there is significant brain destruction. Provided we find a therapy 鈥� and I believe we will 鈥� it gives us a window of opportunity to act.鈥� Professor Nick Fox, Director of the Dementia Research Centre, 香港六合彩中特网 Institute of Neurology.

The BBC programme also explored Aducanumab, a drug that reduces the build-up of amyloid.

鈥淭here will be a therapy that slows or delays the onset of Alzheimer鈥檚. People could live with the disease without showing any symptoms. This is a disease that largely affects people in later life. Delaying onset by a few years will be the equivalent of preventing it, allowing people to spend their final years free of cognitive impairment.鈥� Professor Fox.

Further information:

• available on BBC iPlayer until 10 June 2016.