Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

[Imaging biomarkers for the detection of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]

Thanks to advanced magnetic resonance imaging in the brain, the biomedical engineer Juan Carlos Quizhpilema Cedeño has detected characteristic alterations of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that are not seen in conventional resonance, within the doctoral thesis he has carried out at the Public University of Navarra.

These alterations can serve as image biomarkers, that is, they can help in the diagnosis and monitoring of the disease. In particular, he highlights the accumulation of iron in the motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls voluntary movements, and the damage to the corticospinal tract, the main communication channel between the brain and the spinal cord.

“From the onset of the first symptoms to the confirmation of the diagnosis, it takes twelve to eighteen months.”

This is a promising finding, since the clinical study of this disease is still complex in its early stages. In fact, from the appearance of the first symptoms to the confirmation of the diagnosis, it takes between twelve and eighteen months, while neurological damage progresses at full speed and the patient does not receive the appropriate treatment.

Therefore, they hope to take a step forward with this work to achieve an objective, non-invasive and reproducible tool for the early diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and a better follow-up of the evolution of the disease.