Light on Alzheimer's disease: from basic insights to preclinical studies

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Neuroscience
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive cognitive decline disorder posing significant global health and economic challenges.
• The rising prevalence of AD necessitates advanced diagnostic and imaging tools for better understanding and management.
• Photoacoustic (PA) imaging, a hybrid modality combining optical contrast with ultrasound depth, shows promise for AD research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of current and potential applications of PA imaging in Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and treatment.
• To summarize structural, functional, and molecular changes in AD-related brain imaging detectable by PA imaging.
• To discuss therapeutic strategies for AD and explore future clinical applications of PA imaging.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on PA imaging applications in Alzheimer's disease research.
• Analysis of PA imaging's capability to visualize AD-related neuropathological changes.
• Exploration of therapeutic interventions for AD in conjunction with PA imaging modalities.

Main Results:

• PA imaging demonstrates high-resolution visualization of tissue structures and multifunctional information relevant to AD.
• Preliminary results indicate PA imaging's potential in the study and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
• PA imaging can capture structural, functional, and molecular alterations associated with AD in the brain.

Conclusions:

• PA imaging presents a promising tool for the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of Alzheimer's disease.
• Further research and clinical applications are needed to fully leverage PA imaging for earlier AD detection and theranostics.
• This review highlights the innovative potential of PA imaging in addressing the challenges posed by Alzheimer's disease.