The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed an image analysis method that can diagnose Alzheimer's disease rapidly.

The accuracy of the analysis is comparable to manual measurements made by skilled professionals, which are currently considered the most reliable method for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. The accurate and rapid analysis method is well suited for clinical use.

Early detection of Alzheimer's disease requires that the patient shows some other symptoms or signs of Alzheimer's disease in addition to memory problems, such as the loss of brain cells, visible in Magnetic Resonance (MR) images. One of the first areas of the brain where atrophy can be detected is the hippocampus, the volume of which can now be accurately calculated automatically thanks to the VTT's new method.

Currently, diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease often makes use of visual assessment of MR images. Manual determination of brain structures in this way is a difficult task for the physician and the repeatability of results is typically poor. This has led to a high demand for objective methods. Earlier automatic systems for calculating the volume of the hippocampus are not in general clinical use due to deficiencies in speed and reliability.

Using VTT's new method, the assessment of MR images takes only 3 minutes. With the fastest currently available automatic MR image assessment methods, the assessment takes 15 to 20 minutes. However, it is not uncommon for assessments to last for several hours.

The new method is part of a system which is currently being developed under the EU funded PredictAD project to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease. The aim of the project is to develop objective methods which are sufficiently accurate, reliable and fast for clinical use but do not require large investments in equipment. The system will be completed in 2011.

Furthermore, the following parties are involved in developing the new method: a private firm in the Healthcare sector, Uppsala (Sweden), the Imperial College, London (UK), University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio (Finland) and the Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen's University Hospital (Denmark). The method is currently being tested to guarantee its operational reliability.

 Further information:

• Original news article - eHealthNews.eu Portal
• VTT Technical Research Centre
• PredictAD project