Dementia Research Centre

UCL Institute of Neurology

Dementia Research Centre

Queen Square, London

Imaging

Figure 1

The neuroimaging technique we use most widely with the DRC is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI scans allow us to see the effect that dementias such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) are having on the brain. For this reason they can be useful in the diagnosis of disease, which is important if appropriate treatments are to be prescribed. In addition, taking several images from the same individual over a period of time allows us to track the progression of the disease. By determining this natural progression, we are able to assess whether potential new therapies are having any impact on the disease. MRI is being used increasingly in clinical trials.

Individuals with AD have a build-up of toxic elements within their brains, which ultimately cause the death of nerve cells. This can be seen as brain shrinkage, or atrophy. Figure 1 shows an MRI from a healthy subject, and Figure 2 an individual with Alzheimer's disease.

Figure 2

As the nerve cells die, they are replaced with fluid, which appears dark on MRI scans. V indicates the ventricles, which are the fluid-filled spaces within the brain. It can be seen that in the subject with AD these are

greatly expanded in comparison with the subject on the left. H is the site of the hippocampus, an area of the brain known to be associated with memory. You can see that this structure is shrunken in the scan on the left, and is surrounded by dark fluid.

The imaging team is involved in developing tools for highlighting these types of changes on MRI. Using software developed within the department, we have shown changes in the brain in a range of dementias, even prior to the appearance of symptoms. We are also involved in image analysis for a number of worldwide clinical trials for new treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

This page was last modified 27 May, 2010