Cortical thickness on MRI may flag future amyloid positivity up to seven years early

MRI cortical thickness changes can precede amyloid-beta plaques in Alzheimer's disease by up to 7 years: future amyloid-positive adults had thicker cortices and slower thinning than those who stayed amyloid-negative.

• In a study published in Nature Neuroscience, adults who later became amyloid-beta positive had thicker cortical regions and slower rates of cortical thinning than those who remained amyloid-negative.
• Cortical thickness differences were detectable as early as seven years before amyloid PET positivity, with some differences persisting after adjusting for quantitative amyloid levels.
• The timing of cortical thickness changes tracked with progressive amyloid accumulation, but causation was not established.

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