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timesofindia.indiatimes.com_home_science 2015 00396.txt.txt

#Antioxidant helps to diagnose Alzheimer: Experts find proof In a major medical breakthrough, scientists at the National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) have reported clinical evidence supporting the role of a novel biomarker in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. Glutathione (GSH), the biomarker, is a natural antioxidant that protects the brain from damage. Researchers claim that those suffering from the disease have reduced GSH as compared to the healthy individuals.""The conventional methods for diagnosis of Alzheimer's depend mostly on clinical symptoms or biopsy which is an invasive procedure. However, the new biomarker can be assessed by MRI-like imaging tests. Also, it can help predict the disease much before its onset, "said Dr Pravat Mandal, a professor at NBRC and associate professor (adjunct) at the John Hopkins University, Maryland, USA. He added, "Several animal studies conducted at NBRC have showed the utility of this biomarker in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease previously also. But, for the first time, we have reported clinical evidence to the same effect in human. The findings have been accepted by the international journal'Biological Psychiatry'for publication.""A total 130 people0 Alzheimer's patient, 41 patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment and 49 healthy individualsarticipated in the study. While the healthy individuals were recruited through advertisements, the patients were recruited through referral from neurologists at AIIMS, the researchers said. They claimed GSH estimation in Hippocampi, a region of the brain, yielded 100%specificity and sensitivity for distinguishing Alzheimer's disease and healthy controls.""We propose that estimation of GSH affords a crucial noninvasive measure of Alzheimer's disease progression that could not only provide clinical insight about the disease's pathophysiology but also expedite the drug development process, "Dr Mandal said. Dr Kameshwar Prasad, professor and head of neurology at AIIMS, said the findings are preliminary.""If it succeeds to become a practical solution for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Early identification can help in giving drug therapy to slow the degeneration process and develop strategies to enhance the patient's living environment, "he said. Alzheimer's is one of the common brain disorders that affects nearly 35 million people worldwide. By 2050, experts said, about one in 85 individuals over the age of 65 years will suffer from the disease s

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