US researchers develop new imaging technique to understand Alzheimer's disease

Researchers from the University of Virginia in the US have developed an advanced imaging technique that allows simultaneous measurement of energy production and oxygen levels in the brain, providing a new means to study changes accompanying Alzheimer's disease and understand its impact on brain cell functions.

The scientific website "Phys.org" reported that researchers combined two microscopy imaging techniques to study the relationship between energy production and oxygen availability in brain tissue, and to monitor changes occurring in them under the condition of the disease. Brain cells require a continuous supply of energy to perform their functions, including memory and thinking, and this energy is produced with the help of mitochondria, which convert nutrients into energy using oxygen.

The importance of the new technique lies in enabling researchers to monitor indicators of energy production and oxygen levels simultaneously, rather than measuring each separately, which helps study the relationship between the two processes and understand changes affecting cells in neurological diseases. The results showed changes in energy production indicators within brain cells coinciding with a decrease in oxygen levels in the blood vessels of the cerebral cortex.

This technique allows researchers to study the relationship between metabolic changes and oxygen availability more accurately, helping to broaden the understanding of mechanisms affecting brain cells as the disease progresses. Although the technique does not represent a treatment for Alzheimer's, it provides a research tool to study associated changes and may contribute to supporting future research aimed at understanding the disease's mechanisms and developing better means for its diagnosis and monitoring its progression.

Alzheimer's is a progressive neurological disease that affects brain cells and is the most common cause of dementia, leading to a decline in memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)