Alzheimer's Brain Imaging Advances Show How Disease Spreads

Advances in brain imaging technology have revealed how Alzheimer's spreads throughout the brain, reports WebMD . Scientists believe this discovery may allow the disease to be blocked before it can spread. Using a new PET scan technique, scientists at the University of Cambridge were able to look at levels of tau proteins and connections in the brain. The researchers say their findings support the idea that when tau spreads across the brain it infects and destroys nerve cells. This damage results in the worsening of Alzheimer's symptoms. The study, published in the journal Brain , suggests in the future it may be possible to slow or halt the spread of tau proteins by creating drugs that stop tau proteins from moving along neurons.