{
  "id": 10777887,
  "title": "MRI Scans Might Reveal Signs of Alzheimer's Disease Seven Years Before a Telltale Marker Appears in the Brain",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/mri-scans-might-reveal-signs-of-alzheimers-disease-seven-years-before",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-29T20:33:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Smithsonian",
    "slug": "smithsonian",
    "url": "https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mri-scans-might-reveal-signs-of-alzheimers-disease-seven-years-before-a-telltale-marker-appears-in-the-brain-180989570/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by the abnormal buildup of tau tangles and beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. Currently, PET scans are used to detect amyloid plaques, but a new study suggests that MRI scans may reveal signs of the disease even seven years before amyloid plaques appear. Researchers from the University of Oslo found that changes in the thickness of the brain's cortex, which is the outer layer of the brain, can be detected using MRI scans. These changes were visible at least seven years before amyloid plaques could be detected via PET scans in individuals who later developed the disease. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, involved over 1,000 adults without dementia who were followed for up to 16 years, with multiple MRI scans conducted throughout the study. While these cortical thickness changes may not be sufficient to diagnose Alzheimer's, they could provide valuable insights into the early stages of the disease, potentially opening up new avenues for prevention and treatment.",
  "summary": "Not all researchers are convinced that the brain changes detected via MRI are robust enough to become a diagnostic tool. But the findings could help researchers better understand the mechanisms that drive the neurodegenerative disease",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}