Confirming the spatial relationship between iron, tau protein, and amyloid beta within the subiculum as a means to better detect Alzheimer’s disease with Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Authors

Brandon Herrington, Brigham Young University
Jonathan Wisco, Brigham Young University

Keywords

spatial relationship, iron, tau protein, amyloid beta, Alzheimer's disease, magnetic resonance imaging

College

Life Sciences

Department

Physiology and Developmental Biology

Abstract

As the 6^th leading cause of death in the United States¹, and because of the significant deterioration it causes in the quality of life of its victims, Alzheimer’s disease is an area where research to improve its early diagnosis is paramount to establishing new treatments. Alzheimer’s disease appears to show its effects at a particularly early stage within the hippocampus². More specifically, the subicular area of the hippocampus is noted as a region that is subjected to more severe pathological changes due to the disease³. Braak staging is a method used to classify, into six stages, the degree of pathology in Alzheimer’s disease. By establishing a co-localization of iron to either tau or amyloid beta in the subiculum, iron could then be used as a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease. This means that Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) could potentially be used to detect tau and amyloid beta because of the signal dropout that iron induces in MRI. As a result, health professionals would then be able to use MRI to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease more effectively, and at an earlier stage—providing them the ability to establish a more effective treatment.

Recommended Citation

Herrington, Brandon and Wisco, Jonathan (2016) "Confirming the spatial relationship between iron, tau protein, and amyloid beta within the subiculum as a means to better detect Alzheimer’s disease with Magnetic Resonance Imaging," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2016: Iss. 1, Article 183.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2016/iss1/183