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Early testing may hold potential to predict Alzheimer's, researchers say 2009-12-16 Senior citizens who have preclinical Alzheimer's disease are likely to develop symptomatic Alzheimer's, according to a medical study published in the December issue of Archives of Neurology. The presence of a substance called beta-amyloid is indicative of future Alzheimer's, the Washington University researchers report. The substance can be detected by analyzing cerebrospinal fluid or performing a positron emission tomography scan, a procedure similar to a CT scan. In a study of 159 older adults - the average age was 71 and a half - the researchers found that there was a correlation between the presence of beta-amyloid in cognitively normal people and the development of Alzheimer's-related dementia later in life. "Preclinical Alzheimer's disease is not benign," researchers said, "and will eventually … cause cognitive decline and other symptoms of Alzheimer's disease." As the latest research indicates, early screening for Alzheimer's is crucial to predicting the likelihood of suffering from the disease later in life. And, said researcher John Morris, the study may result in a shift in treatment research. Trying to treat Alzheimer's sufferers "may not meet with much success since we are trying to treat a brain that already has substantial damage," he said to Reuters.  |
