Optical Imaging of Beta-Amyloid Plaques in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial, irreversible, and incurable neurodegenerative disease. The main pathological feature of AD is the deposition of misfolded beta-amyloid protein (A beta) plaques in the brain. The abnormal accumulation of A beta plaques leads to the loss of some neuron functions, further causing the neuron entanglement and the corresponding functional damage, which has a great impact on memory and cognitive functions. Hence, studying the accumulation mechanism of A beta in the brain and its effect on other tissues is of great significance for the early diagnosis of AD. The current clinical studies of A beta accumulation mainly rely on medical imaging techniques, which have some deficiencies in sensitivity and specificity. Optical imaging has recently become a research hotspot in the medical field and clinical applications, manifesting noninvasiveness, high sensitivity, absence of ionizing radiation, high contrast, and spatial resolution. Moreover, it is now emerging as a promising tool for the diagnosis and study of A beta buildup. This review focuses on the application of the optical imaging technique for the determination of A beta plaques in AD research. In addition, recent advances and key operational applications are discussed.