Can Only Early Alzheimer’s Be Treated Successfully?
What research is now showing us has caused scientists to change their approach to Alzheimer’s disease. Early detection is of huge importance in making a difference to the Alzheimer’s patient.
By the time a person shows the classic Alzheimer’s symptoms and can be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, nerve cells in the memory processing areas, the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus are virtually gone. Replacing lost nerve cells in a person with established Alzheimer’s is nearly impossible. Stem cell therapies could be helpful, but are not available at this time.
Emphasis is now turning to identifying those people who are only mildly cognitively affected or healthy people who are at risk for Alzheimer’s.
There are three tools available for identifying at-risk people: neuropsychological evaluation, imaging of the brain and identification of markers of Alzheimer’s disease in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
Marilyn Albert, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University, is an expert on studying presymptomatic people. She suggests the following sequence of action for obtaining new data for treatment of the disease. Neuropsychological testing and imaging of amyloid can identify people who have mild memory impairment. Monitoring of any changes in cognitive testing, imaging of brain volumes and markers in CSF Subsequent will give indications if the disease is progressing. A selected group of those at risk can be used to evaluate potential drugs to modify Alzheimer’s disease when it is still possible to change the course of the disease.
Read the full article here by Guy McKhann Brain in the News
« Tonight: Gathering Call for Women With Alzheimer’s in the Family | Home | The Super Memory Club »
Leave a Comment