(JACKSON OPEN):
AN ESTIMATED 4.5 MILLION OLDER PEOPLE IN THE U-S CURRENTLY HAVE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE - AND RESEARCHERS PREDICT THAT THE NUMBER COULD NEARLY TRIPLE BY 2050. BUT, SEVERAL PROMISING RECENT DEVELOPMENTS MAY ONE DAY LEAD TO NEW METHODS OF DIAGNOSING, PREVENTING AND SLOWING THE DISEASE'S PROGRESS. THESE INCLUDE A NEW WAY TO LOOK INSIDE THE BRAINS OF PEOPLE WITH THE DISEASE - AS WELL AS NEW METHODS FOR PREVENTING BUILD-UP OF A PROTEIN CALLED "AMYLOID" THAT FORMS PLAQUES SCIENTISTS BELIEVE MAY BE INVOLVED IN CAUSING ALZHEIMER'S SYMPTOMS. DOCTOR NEIL BUCKHOLTZ OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING'S "NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGY OF AGING PROGRAM" EXPLAINS…

(BUCKHOLTZ):
"WE ARE MOVING TOWARD EARLIER DETECTION OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, THROUGH THE USE OF NEURO-IMAGING SUCH AS POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING. THIS, AND OTHER TYPES OF RESEARCH ARE BRINGING US CLOSER TO THE DAY WHEN WE CAN LOOK IN THE LIVING BRAIN, SEE IF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISEASE ARE THERE, AND THEN, AS WE DEVELOP NEW THERAPIES, THEY HOPEFULLY WILL BE ABLE TO CHANGE BOTH THE PROGRESSION OF THE DISEASE AND ITS CLINICAL COURSE."

(JACKSON CLOSE):
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW-DOT-N-I-A-DOT-N-I-H-DOT-GOV. THIS IS CALVIN JACKSON, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, BETHESDA, MARYLAND.