Brain MRI can help in predicting chances of Alzheimer’s disease in future: Study

The likelihood of acquiring Alzheimer’s disease in the future may be predicted using a mix of genetics and brain MRIs, according to research being done in this area.

In a recently released study, scientists from SFU’s Functional and Anatomical Imaging & Shape Analysis Lab (FAISAL) identified specific traits of brain MRIs and genetics that affect the prediction of Dementia of Alzheimer’s Type, or DAT, for patients at different stages of the disease, and then developed a biomarker that can aid in predicting future conversion to DAT.

“Our findings reveal that while genetic features have lower predictive power than MRI features, combining both modalities can improve the performance in predicting the future conversion to DAT,” says study lead author Ghazal Mirabnahrazam, a research assistant currently completing a master’s degree in engineering science at SFU.

Dementia scores based on genetic data were shown to better predict future DAT progression in currently normal patients who will develop DAT at a later time, while MRI data, which reflects anatomical changes in the brain, was shown to better predict future DAT in those with mild cognitive impairment.

“In a clinical setting, clinicians can use our model to predict a quantitative score indicating the similarity between a subject’s observed patterns based on MRI and genetic data at the time of clinical visit and DAT patterns,” says senior author Mirza Faisal Beg, a professor in SFU’s School of Engineering Science.

“This is extremely useful, specifically at the MCI (mild cognitively impaired) stage in identifying those who will progress to DAT in the future. Being able to accurately estimate the chance of future conversion to DAT using only baseline information is extremely valuable because it provides practitioners with deep insight and enough time to plan appropriate care for each patient based on their probability of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

“Furthermore, it can provide potentially critical information for drug trials and the development of preventative measures,” adds Beg. “This information can aid in the selection of the appropriate cohort of patients for clinical trials, which can lead to a more promising outcome.”