LOS ANGELES (AP) - Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles said Wednesday they have created the first test that records the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

The test, which identifies lesions associated with Alzheimer's in a person's brain, could improve early diagnosis and lead to more effective treatment, said Dr. Stephen Bartels, president of the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry.

``This is a huge step forward in getting a jump on the disease before it progresses to cause brain impairment,'' Bartels said of the test, reported in the January issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Alzheimer's, a degenerative brain disease that causes memory loss, disorientation, depression and decay of bodily functions, affects an estimated 4 million Americans.

The disease often begins with memory lapses and advances to dementia. People with advanced cases require constant care and lose the ability to recognize even their loved ones. Among the disease's victims is former President Reagan.

The UCLA discovery means patients will be able to undergo a noninvasive test that includes a PET scan and the injection of a chemical tracer, which identifies the brain lesions linked to the disease.

``Find these tiny lesions, and you will likely find the disease,'' said Dr. Jorge Barrio, who led the UCLA research team.

The accuracy of current diagnostic tests can be as low as 55 percent compared with autopsy results, he added.

Positron emission tomography, or PET, uses radiation to measure biochemical reactions like those between the tracer and brain lesions, while CT and MRI scans produce anatomical images.

``We think the research is very exciting, but at the same time we're cautious,'' said Michelle Plauche, director of health education for the Los Angeles chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

``This technology is most useful when an individual is under the care of their physician, when there's some indication this test may be useful or if the doctor is having trouble determining the cause of a patient's memory loss,'' she said.

Plauche said she hopes the research will prompt insurance companies to cover the $1,500 average cost of a PET scan.

The research was funded by the Department of Energy, the Charles A. Dana Foundation, the Alzheimer's Association and The Institute for the Study of Aging Inc.

From Healthy.net