Researchers have developed a technique that can warn patients if they will suffer from Alzheimer's at least ten years before the symptoms manifest.

The technique developed by teams all over the world including teams in the University of Melbourne, Australia and the University of Texas use a positron emission tomography (PET) scan to monitor the buildup of the protein Amyloid-beta which is connected to dementia and cognitive decline. The protein is widely believed to cause blockage of normal though processes in the brain.

Hundreds of volunteers- a mixture of healthy patients and those with mild cognitive impairment were given memory and cognition tests. The researchers monitored their condition and had the volunteers' brains scanned regularly. It was discovered that those volunteers with a high build up of plaques earlier on were more likely to develop memory problems and Alzheimer's Disease, according to the report in The Telegraph.

The research has shown that Alzheimer's could be discovered as early as ten years before the onset of symptoms. This would allow patients to prepare for the future and give them and their family time to adjust to their condition.

The breakthrough is not only important to sufferers but it could potentially lead to discovering a cure for this debilitating disease, Professor David Brooks of Imperial College London said that finding a way to treat the amyloid proteins could be very exciting for Alzheimer's research. The PET scans will also give scientists a chance to diagnose the disease and study what is happening to brain during the disease.

The PET scan will be available to all hospitals around the world within the next year. The biggest question would be the cause of such a procedure. Director of Neuroimaging and Brain Lab at the Australian National University, Nicolas Cherbuin questioned the PET scans availability and cost. It still remains to be seen if anyone can ask their physician for a full physical that would include the PET scan and not break their bank accounts.