Using AI to battle Alzheimer's

It's estimated that more than 6 million Americans -- and about 24 million people worldwide -- are living with the degenerative brain disease called Alzheimer's, a progressive mental deterioration that is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States among people who are 65 and older. The Alzheimer's Association and other sources report that medical experts estimate the number of people with this form of dementia more than doubling within the next three decades. That reality is leading to more research aimed at deepening knowledge about the causes and progression of the disease to help in developing effective treatments. One essential key to success is finding ways to more accurately detect the early indicators of the disease, for example, through neuroimaging -- generating images of the brain -- as well as ways to more clearly visualize its physiological signs. Among those taking on the challenge are researchers Teresa Wu, Yi Su and Jay Shah.