Health

Alzheimer's-related brain changes emerge years before amyloid plaques appear, study finds

Tracking healthy adults over nearly two decades revealed structural brain shifts at least seven years prior to detectable plaque buildup.

Updated Sep 2, 2026 · 15:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

University of Oslo researchers discovered that structural brain changes linked to Alzheimer's disease can be detected at least seven years before amyloid plaques appear on standard PET scans.
The findings were based on a study published in Nature Neuroscience analyzing repeated MRI and PET scans from healthy older adults over nearly 20 years.
The results suggest disease mechanisms may start earlier than previously recognized, which could shift future therapeutic strategies toward non-amyloid biological targets.
Scientists note further research is necessary to clarify whether these early structural alterations directly trigger plaque accumulation or stem from independent biological pathways.

A study published in Nature Neuroscience by University of Oslo researchers found structural brain alterations occur at least seven years before amyloid plaques are visible on PET scans.[ScienceDaily]
Researchers tracked healthy older participants with regular MRI imaging over nearly 20 years to compare individuals who eventually developed amyloid plaques against those who did not.[ScienceDaily]
The research was led by James Michael Roe and Anders Martin Fjell from the Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition at the University of Oslo.[ScienceDaily]

It remains unknown whether the observed early structural changes directly contribute to amyloid plaque accumulation or arise from separate biological processes.[ScienceDaily]