During the 2008 International Conference on Alzheimer ’s Disease taking place in Chicago this week, scientists have explained that he faster we are in discovering Alzheimer’s disease on time, the bigger the chances to slow down the progress of the disease.

Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease that is usually detected long after the disease has started its progress, usually through behavioral tests and brain scanning. There is no known cure for it, but scientists are hoping that some day they will be able to delay its progress and perhaps even stop it.

During the Chicago conference, several studies have revealed an effective method to diagnose the disease in its early stages, based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) scans. Researchers have used MRIs to capture images of brain plaques in rabbits. As they explained, lesions to these plaques are a clear sign of Alzheimer’s, but unfortunately the only way to identify these lesions at this point is by autopsy.

Scientists highlighted the fact that these widely available MRI scanners could be the answer the medical community has been looking for in diagnosing the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Finding a non-invasive way of spotting early signs of the disease represent an important step forward to better understanding the mechanisms of the disease and the possible ways to delay its effects.

In order to give a real chance to future treatments to slow or delay the progression of Alzheimer’s, early detection becomes crucial, researchers explained. Crossing from animal MRI scanning to human scanning will not be a simple process, but it is not impossible.

In another study presented at the conference, a team of scientists revealed a computer algorithm capable of comparing a 3D MRI scan with a STAND, which measures the severity of fibrous tangles in the brain. The authors of the study believe that the program is capable of distinguishing between a normal brain and the brain affected by Alzheimer’s with high accuracy.