They hope to find a way to treat the disease early
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia that causes memory loss in humans. Scientists from University College London have discovered one warning sign that can appear up to two decades before the onset of obvious memory problems. The study results were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
The study involved 100 people aged 43 to 66 years. All of them were at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease due to a family history (the presence of a special gene called APOE-4). The subjects performed a variety of cognitive tests, including moving in a virtual reality environment using VR headsets.
When the tests were taken, the people had no symptoms of the disease and were about 25 years younger than the potential age of onset of dementia. They found that those who were at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease had difficulty completing the VR navigation test. There were no problems with other tasks.
This allowed scientists to suggest that poor spatial orientation is precisely the symptom of dementia that appears about two decades earlier than all other symptoms. The study also showed that disturbances in spatial orientation were more severe in men than in women.
The scientists stressed that in the coming years they plan to develop tools that will represent a completely new approach to diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease, and expressed hope that people will be able to receive a more timely and accurate diagnosis.
“One in three people born today will develop dementia. Early and accurate diagnosis of the disease is vital for people to get treatment early,” said Dr Richard Oakley, Deputy Director of Research and Innovation at the Alzheimer’s Society.
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2024-03-06 10:16:39
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