New MRI brain scan predicts Alzheimer's risk years before symptoms develop

Levels of iron in the brain could be a warning sign of future Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests.

High levels of the chemical element have been shown to increase brain toxins and trigger neurodegeneration, resulting in cognitive decline — especially when they interact with the abnormal amyloid and tau proteins that are the hallmark pathologies of Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that a special MRI technique called quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) can measure levels of brain iron.

EARLY ALZHEIMER’S SIGNS DETECTED IN 3 MINUTES WITH NEW BRAINWAVE TEST

"QSM is an advanced MRI technique developed over the last decade to measure tissue magnetic susceptibility with good precision," the study’s senior author, Xu Li, associate professor