Algorithm could predict Alzheimer's risk years before symptoms occur

Researchers from McGill University in Canada reveal how they used machine-learning techniques and beta-amyloid imaging to predict Alzheimer's development in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) up to 2 years before symptoms arose. Co-lead study author Dr. Pedro Rosa-Neto, of the departments of Neurology & Neurosurgery and Psychiatry at McGill University, and colleagues recently reported their findings in the journal Neurobiology of Aging. MCI is a condition characterized by a decline in cognitive functions - such as memory and thinking skills - that is noticeable, but which does not impact a person's ability to carry out everyday tasks. According to the Alzheimer's Association, studies have suggested that around 15 to 20 percent of adults aged 65 and older are likely to have MCI, and these individuals are at greater risk of Alzheimer's than the general population. At present, there is no way to predict which MCI patients will go on to develop Alzheimer's disease, but Dr. Rosa-Neto and colleagues believe that their algorithm has the potential to fulfill this need.