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Alzheimer's Disease Reveals Itself Earlier, Study Finds

August 1, 2005
There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but researchers now say it may be possible to identify its onset a full decade before doctors diagnose it in most patients. A new report says the clues include lagging attention spans and other subtle signs, in addition to growing forgetfulness.

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Early identification of Alzheimer’s onset, researchers say, could allow a patient to receive treatment and therapies that could delay it. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative condition of the brain that ultimately robs its victims of all memory function.

William Thies, a spokesman for the Alzheimer’s Association, says the report is important since the number of people with the disease is expected to grow in proportion to the growing population of aging Baby Boomers.

The Swedish study analyzed the results of 47 previous studies, finding a pattern of slight brain malfunctions in people who eventually developed Alzheimer’s. These malfunctions include problems with thinking and other cognitive skills, not just in retaining memory.

They were able to single out over 1,200 older people who had taken cognitive tests years before developing Alzheimer’s. They compared them with more than 9,000 older people who had taken the same tests, but who had not developed the disease.

The researchers found a pattern in the tests. The people who would later develop Alzheimer’s displayed small problems in their cognitive skills, such as the inability to carry out two projects at once or make future plans. Those who would remain healthy displayed no such trouble with their thinking abilities.

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