A Foreign Ministry official in charge of China

The findings don't point to any new treatment for Alzheimer's disease, gucci bags which is incurable, and the detected decline in brain function is so small that affected people probably wouldn't notice anything in their daily lives. Still, "I think they certainly are at higher risk of Alzheimer's," said study co-author Denise Park, A cognitive neuroscientist at the Center for Vital Longevity at the University of Texas at Dallas. She added that the test that turned up signs of the brain plaque could eventually help doctors figure out if someone's at risk for the disease long before they reach old age. "Just because we don't have a treatment for Alzheimer's doesn't mean we'll never have one. What if we can develop this field enough that we can say things about your brain in your 40s and tell people, 'Here's a pill that you can take to slow [cognitive deterioration] down so it will never go to Alzheimer's?'" she said. The plaque at issue is known as beta amyloid. It's a kind of protein that collects in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease along with stringy "tangles" that appear in neurons. Research suggests that the plaques and neurons kill off brain cells, leading to declines in mental function. The researchers wanted to study beta amyloid levels in people without Alzheimer's disease. They did PET scans on 137 people aged 30 to 89, and gave them several cognitive tests that measured things like memory and how fast their brains worked. Those with higher levels of the brain gunk performed worse on cognitive tests measuring brain-processing speed, working memory and reasoning. However, the differences in brain function may not mean much Gucci outlet, gucci bags, cheap gucci shoes 2012 sale. to the individuals. "In everyday life, I don't think you'd notice it," Park said The study appears in the Feb. 1 online issue of Neurology. What does the study suggest about the brain plaque? "One idea is that it's a first step in a cascade of events that ultimately leads to Alzheimer's disease," Park said. "Another possibility is that although the amyloid is there, maybe it won't increase or harm the individual for 20 or more years, that it doesn't progress as rapidly as many people think it does." Dr. Brad Dickerson, an associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, said the study is important because it adds to previous research that links higher levels of beta amyloid to cognitive problems. A Foreign Ministry official in charge of China affairs said later Wednesday that Beijing justified its activity, repeating its claim that China has sovereignty over the area. Days earlier, Beijing accused Tokyo of naming a group of uninhabited southern islands in nearby waters that both countries claim. Four of the islands are in the disputed Senkaku, or Diaoyu, chain in the East China Sea. The islands, also claimed by China and Taiwan, have been a flashpoint in diplomatic relations. Beijing said Tokyo's naming attempt is "illegal and invalid," the ministry official said on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity of the issue. Tokyo responded by saying the islands are an integral part of Japan. Japan's Cabinet Office has said it will use the names for new maps, Welcome to gucci outlet shop, all gucci bags and gucci shoes 2012 new arrivals are on cheap sale. Save up to 70% off! adding that the islets are within Japan's established exclusive economic zone and will not change any maritime boundaries. The islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and are regularly occupied by nationalists from both sides.