A New Type of MRI for Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease Invented in Israel
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a new magnetic resonance imaging technique that will allow for the creation of a "molecular map" of the brain. This will enable doctors to compare brain scan results of patients taken at different times, identifying differences between healthy and damaged tissues without invasive or dangerous procedures.
Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, has long been an indispensable tool for doctors, providing them with detailed information about what is happening in the human body. But very soon, this type of medical imaging will expand its capabilities, helping doctors to more quickly and accurately recognize the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease.
A team of Israeli researchers from the Brain Research Center at the Hebrew University, led by Dr. Aviv Mezer, has found a way to transform MRI from a diagnostic tool that captures images of our organs, bones, and nerves into a device capable of detecting changes in the biological composition of brain tissues. This new technique is expected to help doctors timely detect the development of dementia and initiate necessary treatment.
“Magnetic resonance imaging has long been used to study the brain,” says Dr. Mezer. “Thanks to our understanding of how to measure the diffusion of water molecules in biological tissues (which is the basis of MRI technology), we can now see another aspect: how water interacts with its environment. In this sense, we are studying the structure of molecules.” The professor emphasized that this represents a fundamentally new level of information that was previously unavailable to the medical community.
He compared the new method of reading MRI to a blood test. “When we take a blood sample, it shows the exact number of leukocytes and how much it deviates from the norm due to disease,” says Dr. Mezer. The new methodology allows for similar information, but about the brain.
“When we look at the brain post-mortem, we see a huge difference in macromolecules across different diseases. But currently, we can only see these changes after an autopsy,” says the lead researcher. “We very much hope that our proposed new approach will allow us to see these macromolecules in brain tissues and detect the onset of neurodegenerative diseases while the person is still alive.”
Its use will also be of great significance in understanding whether a person is simply aging or developing parkinsonism or Alzheimer's disease. The fact is, scientists explain, that both aging and neurodegenerative diseases leave biological "fingerprints" in the brain, altering the content of lipids and proteins in its tissues. While existing types of magnetic resonance imaging only provide images of the human brain, the new technique displays biological indicators of its tissues. In other words, it allows us to understand what is happening in the brain at the molecular level and prescribe appropriate treatment.
This means that patients are more likely to receive timely and accurate diagnoses, which will expedite the start of treatment and help maintain a high quality of life for as long as possible—all through a non-invasive technique.
Furthermore, scientists believe that the new type of MRI will help better understand how our brains age. “When we scan the brains of young people and middle-aged individuals, we see that different areas age differently,” says Dr. Mezer. “For example, in some areas of white matter, there is a reduction in brain tissue volume, while in the gray matter region, its volume remains unchanged. At the same time, we observed significant changes in the molecular composition of gray matter in older individuals compared to younger ones.”
What is Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia or senile dementia. There are approximately 40 million people worldwide with this diagnosis, and nearly 10 million new cases are recorded by doctors each year.
This severe neurological pathology primarily affects middle-aged individuals but is not a normal part of aging. It has a chronic course and a progressive nature. Alzheimer's disease manifests as a noticeable decline in cognitive functions—memory, thinking, understanding, speech—and the ability to perform routine daily activities. It is considered one of the leading causes of disability among the elderly worldwide.
The basis of dementia is a severe disorder of higher nervous activity, caused by organic damage to the brain. To date, it is considered incurable: the disease lasts six to eight years and typically ends in death in a state of profound dementia. With early detection and timely initiation of treatment, there is a possibility to adjust the course of the disease, delaying the onset of its severe stage, which leads to complete personality disintegration.