Siemens made a giant leap for Alzheimer’s sufferers this year when they introduced a first-of-it’s-kind integrated system to diagnose early stage Alzheimer’s. This new process involves a newly FDA approved radiotracer that binds to beta-amyloid, a plaque found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. The plaque can then be seen with the help of the Siemens Biograph mCT scanner. What is so revolutionary about this? Well, in addition to the fact that this makes the testing for Alzheimer’s a lot less painful (earlier testing involved a lumbar puncture and was only able to measure the amyloid proteins in spinal fluid not in the brain itself), it also makes it a lot more accurate. Previously, the only way to see the amyloid plaque on the brain was through a histological exam of the brain during an autopsy. Seeing this in the living brain creates a whole new playing field, allowing doctors to catch the disease early and researchers to play with all new medications and methods of delaying or neutralizing the effects of Alzheimer’s.
So kudos to Siemens. Way to be an industry leader! Here’s hoping this will lead to a cure.
Alisa Flom
Patient Relations Coordinator
