Siemens Medical to conduct Alzheimer’s clinical trial

Siemens Medical is to conduct a clinical trial on molecular markers for help with the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

The medical company is to collaborate with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to get new the molecular markers used by medical practitioners for patient diagnosis.

UCLA researchers have used brain scan technology which has identified abnormal deposits of a certain protein in people who may not develop Alzheimer’s for many years.

The researchers found that the disease may be caused by positron emission technology (PET) imaging in conjunction with a small molecule that binds to abnormal proteins called amyloid plaques and tangles.

Studies have suggested that the new method is better able at differentiating patients who suffer from Alzheimer’s with those suffering from other cognitive impairment. It also was able to track progression of the disease over a two-year period.

Dr Gary Small, lead study author, commented: “The study suggests that we may now have a new diagnostic tool for detecting pre-Alzheimer’s conditions to help us identify those at risk, perhaps years before symptoms become obvious.”

Research covered a group of 83 volunteers and involved PET scans after the intravenous injection of volunteers with a new chemical marker entitled FDDNP.

Scientists at the University of North Carolina are currently investigating the effect that lithium and other drugs have in treating Alzheimer’s, according to the Herald Sun, since high doses of these drugs have been said to impair as opposed to enhance neuronal function.