Summary
Advanced imaging technologies and novel biomarkers like glucose metabolism and even hip measurements show great promise for earlier detection of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, as demonstrated by new research studies reported today at the first Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia in Washington.
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http://www.rednova.com/news/health/156965/new_research_studies_bring_early_detection_of_alzheimers_disease_closer/
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Advanced imaging technologies and novel biomarkers show great promise for earlier detection of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, as demonstrated by new research studies reported today at the first Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia in Washington.
Glucose metabolism is the major energy source of the brain and is a sensitive indicator of brain damage.
At baseline of the study, reductions in glucose metabolism in the brain's hippocampus (Hip MRglc) were found for those study participants who would eventually decline to Alzheimer's or MCI, as compared to the non-decliners.
Alison Godbolt of the Dementia Research Centre, Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK, and colleagues agreed with the widely held hypothesis that the biochemical and structural changes in the brain that eventually cause Alzheimer symptoms are actually present before memory loss begins.
The age at which they will develop symptoms can be predicted to some extent from the age at which other members of their family have developed the disease, which is often very similar in all sufferers in the family.
One of several reasons cited by general practitioners for their failure to screen is the lengthy nature and inadequacies of current screening tools such as the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE)."
The researchers identified the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG), Mini-Cog, and Memory Impairment Screen (MIS) were most suitable for routine screening.
To begin to address these questions, Renee Beard, Ph.D., a National Institute on Aging Post-Doctoral Fellow in Gerontological Public Health at the Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, devoted 18 months to observing the diagnostic process, including observation and qualitative interviews with 50 people undergoing cognitive evaluation and focus groups with 35 individuals diagnosed with
Alzheimer's or MCI.
It is critical to continue exploring the individual, social, and bioethical consequences of increasingly earlier diagnoses," Beard said.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher, author and award-winning journalist with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams created TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural living video sharing site featuring thousands of user videos on foods, fitness, green living and more. He's also the CEO of a highly successful email newsletter software company that develops software used to send permission email campaigns to subscribers. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. Known on the 'net as 'the Health Ranger,' Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org
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Sunday, July 10, 2005
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