The present invention provides methods of detecting soluble amyloid β using curcumin-derived near infrared (NIR) imaging probes. Upon interacting with soluble amyloid β, these probes undergo a range of changes, qualifying them as “smart” probes. In addition, the invention provides methods of detecting soluble amyloid β by positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and multimodal imaging based on the curcumin-derived NIR imaging probes and derivatives thereof.
