MRI Scans Show Signs of Alzheimer's Disease Seven Years Before Plaques Appear on PET Scans

Research published in Nature Neuroscience examined longitudinal data from over 1,000 adults over up to 16 years, finding that changes in cortical thickness visible on MRI scans appear at least seven years before amyloid plaques are detected on PET scans, suggesting an earlier window for intervention.

Researchers caution that the cortical thickness changes detected are probably too subtle to use as a diagnostic tool yet, and not all researchers are convinced the findings are robust enough for clinical application.