Children who have two parents with Alzheimer's may have increased risks of the disease

Middle-aged adults whose parents both suffer from Alzheimer's may be at a higher risk of early Alzheimer's-related brain changes, according to a recent study.

Researchers involved in the study found that more than 50 healthy adults whose mother and father suffered from the disease were at high risk of showing abnormalities in their own brain scans.

However, the scientists emphasized that the full significance of their findings is still unclear as it is not yet known whether or not these early changes will actually lead to full-blown Alzheimer's later on in life.

"Some of the same brain changes that we see in Alzheimer's disease can also be seen in healthy younger people," said lead researcher Lisa Mosconi, a research assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

The results of the study also showed that participants who only had one parent afflicted with Alzheimer's suffered from less severe abnormalities. The findings differed depending on whether the mother, father, or both had been previously diagnosed with the disease.

Participants involved in the study were on average 56 years old. All had at least 12 years of education and none showed any behavioral signs of suffering from Alzheimer's after they underwent various scans and tests.

Dr. Ronald Kanner, a neurologist and chairman of neurology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, said it's not known whether the brain changes can actually predict whether someone will get Alzheimer's. Although not directly involved in the study, he suggests that what is needed now is a long-term follow-up to see whether these indicators of brain changes do actually represent early warning signs for which people are at risk.

The results were published in the journal Neurology.