New Ways to Understand Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Disease

Did you know that studying biomarkers has dramatically improved our understanding of brain changes that occur as we age, as well as those that occur in the earliest phases of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or other types of dementia?Medical Science Hospital Lab Meeting: Diverse Team of Neurologists, Neuroscientists, Neurosurgeon Consult TV Screen Showing MRI Scan with Brain Images, Talk About Treatment Method, New Drugs CureBiomarkers are indirect indicators of an individual’s brain health that may provide evidence of a condition or disease, in a similar way to how a blood pressure reading provides insights about heart health. Increasingly, Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (JHADRC) investigators are using biomarkers to understand brain health. This is important because studies have shown that brain changes underlying AD begin years to decades before individuals show symptoms of dementia. The ultimate goals? To find new signs identifying those with memory loss, help identify those most likely to benefit from new treatments, and, ultimately, help find a cure for AD.& JHADRC Director Dr. Marilyn Albert commented, “When we see patients with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, we don’t say we will wait to treat you until you get congestive heart failure. Early treatments keep heart...