Detecting depression in different stages of Alzheimer using PET imaging

Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking capabilities and, eventually, the loss of mental function. While most of its symptoms occurs in mid stages, Depression can be considered as one of the symptoms which can be used to identify Alzheimer in early stages. Identifying Depression in Alzheimer's patient is a difficult task with a single test or questionnaire. This paper proposes a technique to identify depression from PET scan of patients in early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The observation and in-depth analysis are carried on the activity of the Cingulate Cortex, a less active noted in individuals having the disease of depression. We have taken total 15 participants in this study, which comprises of 6 healthy patient's participants who were aged between of 19 and 35, 3 Early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI) participants who were between 50 to 70 age group and 6 late life depression (LLD) patients whose age group is between 70 and 80.