New MRI Technique to Diagnose or Rule out Alzheimer's Disease

Resource:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116162238.htm

Summary:
Many of us have watched people we know go through Alzheimer’s and have witnessed the effects and difficulties that come with it. We are all aware that it is a disease that at times can be very difficult to diagnose, but what if there was a technique or machine to tell us if a loved one has it for certain? Well, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania did just that! The new technique is a type of MRI scan called arterial spin labeling (ASL) which measures the changes of a person’s brain function. This is not only a great advancement in medicine, but it’s also less harmful and cost friendly for patients. The old technique, PET, was four times as expensive and exposed the patients to radioactive glucose. The ASL scan shows the patient’s blood flow and glucose levels in the brain as well as the increase or decrease in brain function, which are all contributing factors. When a doctor thinks a patient may have Alzheimer’s they’ll do an additional MRI to check for any other problems, like strokes. With this new technique, they want to add it to the regular routine so they can tell right away if the person has Alzheimer’s or something else.

Critique:
I think the ASL technique is a great improvement when compared to the PET scan we have used for a very long time. I like it that this new technique is less harmful to patients and cuts the diagnostic process in half. I feel better, as many would probably agree, knowing that others would be diagnosed sooner and would live longer. I want them to be able to have the advantages my loved ones didn’t. It’s a wonderful improvement.

Impact:
This is a great improvement in medical technology. With the ASL technique, patients will be diagnosed faster and not as much money will be spent. Patients will live longer and will hopefully help pull our economy out of the recession because of how inexpensive it is. This has a wonderful impact in all aspects of the world.