New scanning technique to diagnose dementia

"This offers tremendous hope to detect the problem and prevent further damage," said Dr Gary Small, director of the University of California's Memory and the Ageing Centre.

Speaking at a three-day international conference on Life Sciences in Bangkok called "BioAsia 2008", he said he had spent the past two decades studying brain damage and developing the new technique.

Under Small's new method, a radioactive substance called "DDNP" is injected into the patient's body to highlight the damaging amyloid plaques and "tau tangles" in the brain. Then the doctor can use a PET scan to measure the amounts and determine correct treatment. High levels of amyloid plaques and tau tangles show how much risk there is of the patient developing dementia or a disease like Alzheimer's.

 "A successful co-development of imaging technology and preventive treatments may eventually lead to brain scans that can determine cognitive decline risk, so physicians can administer medications, vaccines, or lifestyle programmes to prevent future cognitive loss and delay the onset of disease," Small explained.

He is also is the author of the international best-seller "The Memory Bible".

In general, he said, about 10 per cent of people aged 65 and above face the risk of getting Alzheimer's, which is increased to 50 per cent in people aged 85.

However, he suggested that patients facing dementia problems should do more mental and physical exercise, eat intelligently and reduce stress to decrease the risk of brain damage.