Researchers at Austin Hospital have claimed that the new brain scan technique to detect Alzheimer's disease is likely to increase the chances of early detection of the fatal disease. The new technique is known as a positron emission tomography (PET) scan and is capable of finding and analyzing a protein known as beta-amyloid, which is linked to Alzheimer's disease.

The results from three studies related to PET scans for Alzheimer's were presented at a meeting of the Society for Nuclear Medicine's annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

Kevin Ong, a Research Scientist at the Austin Hospital said, “From a macro perspective, amyloid imaging with PET scans can help to ascertain the likelihood that individuals will deteriorate cognitively within a few years, thereby enabling more efficient channeling of health care resources”.

Figures reveal that about 18 million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease worldwide, which is the most common form of dementia. Researchers have claimed that the new technique will of great importance for people of all ages as such scans could find clues of the onset of Alzheimer's long before symptoms appear.