State-of-the Art Brain-Imaging Technology Distinguishes Between Normal Age-Related Memory Loss and Alzheimer's Disease, Study Finds

A new study published in Neuron suggests cutting-edge brain-imaging technology distinguishes between normal age-related memory loss and Alzheimer's disease, reports the Daily Mail . The researchers analyzed 20 young adults between 18 and 31, and 20 healthy older people between 64 to 89. All participants were asked to perform an object and location memory task while standing in a body-length magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The machine measured blood flow in the brain, letting researchers determine which part of the organ people are using. In the first task, the participants memorized pictures of everyday objects and then differentiated them from new pictures. For the second task the participants had to determine whether objects changed their location. "Some of the pictures were identical to ones they've seen before, some were brand new, and others were similar to what they've seen before — we may change the color or the size," says the University of California, Irvine's Dr. Michael Yassa. He concludes that "our findings are not a reflection of general brain aging, but rather specific neural changes that are linked to specific problems in object memory."