Don`t Lose Your Train of Thought
The Alzheimer`s Association estimates that 4 million people have Alzheimer`s disease in the United States alone. Alzheimer`s is progressive disease and as of right now is irreversible. It is a brain disorder that is described by a progressive decline in cognitive, behavioral and physical abilities that are detrimental enough to interfere with the patient`s quality of life. For the most part Alzheimer`s afflicts people over the age of 60; roughly 10% of people that have it are between the ages of 65-74, practically half of those age 85 or older may have the disease. The average age of diagnosis is 80.
For years those in the healthcare profession have struggled to determine what causes Alzheimer`s disease as well as seeking ways to detect it early on. Now there seems to be new hope on the horizon as scientists may have discovered an easier way to spot the degenerative brain disease way before the onset of symptoms by using brain scans. The Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital have reported being able to possibly determine Alzheimer`s early on through MRI scans of the brain. According to the study; people who go on to develop symptoms of memory loss and cognitive deficits are more likely to show shrinkage in certain areas of the brain early on, compared with those who do not develop Alzheimer`s.
By studying people`s brains over a period of time the team headed by Dr. Bradford Dickerson were able to see that there are nine regions of the brain that appear thinner in people who eventually develop Alzheimer`s. These areas are the same areas of the cortex that early on in their studies the team identified to be most affected by plaque deposits and breakdowns of nerve networks that have become associated with Alzheimer`s disease.
This finding is pivotal to the medical community as well as the general population as the percentage of the elderly in the U.S. is expected to swell in the coming decades. Early identification may mean more years of functioning for our aging population; as well as taking a step in the right direction towards a cure if the medical community can have a better understanding of how Alzheimer`s works. If you or someone you love is afflicted with Alzheimer`s, talk to your doctor and visit:www.alzfdn.org
