UCLA scientists have used brain-scan technology, along with patient-specific information on Alzheimer's disease risks, to help diagnose brain aging before symptoms appear. The researchers used positron emission tomography (PET), which allows the revealing of plaques and tangles, the hallmarks of neurodegeneration. The PET scans were complemented by information on patients' age and cognitive status and a genetic profile.

The scientists took PET brain scans of 76 volunteers after they had been intravenously injected with a chemical marker called FDDNP, which binds to plaque. Researchers were then able to pinpoint where these abnormal protein deposits were accumulating and tangling deposits in the brain. They found that older age correlated with higher concentrations of FDDNP in the brain's medial and lateral temporal regions - areas involved with memory - where plaques and tangles usually collect.

"Combining key patient information with a brain scan may give us better predictive power in targeting those who may benefit from early intervention, as well as help test how well treatments are working," said Dr. Gary Small, UCLA's Parlow-Solomon Chair on Aging and a professor at the university's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. "Eventually, this imaging method, together with patient information like age, cognitive status and genetics, may help us better manage brain aging."

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