Cambridge University neuroscientists have found that signs of brain dysfunction can be detected nine years before a patient is diagnosed with dementia. The work was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
The researchers analyzed data from the UK’s biobank repository of medical and genetic information on 500,000 people aged 40 to 69. The data also contained information on the cognitive status of the volunteers and the number of falls: even imbalances can signal dementia.
This information allowed the scientists to retrospectively assess when patients first showed signs of dementia.
People who later developed Alzheimer’s disease scored lower on cognitive tests than healthy people. They also fell more frequently in the year before diagnosis.
“When we looked at the patients’ medical records, it became clear that they had some cognitive impairment several years before the symptoms of dementia were evident enough to make a diagnosis. The complaints were often minor and appeared on average five to nine years before the diagnosis was made, “the scientists noted.
According to them, the study results will identify people who can participate in clinical trials on potential new treatments for dementia.
Living with Alzheimer’s requires serious effort, the will, not only of the patients themselves, but also of their loved ones. What are the fate of those who are faced with serious illnesses? In the gallery we have collected information on 20 films about incurable diseases and fortitude:
Read also: In their own skin: how scientists conduct tests on themselves. Watch the video:
<div class="article__item article__item_alignment_left article__item_embed article__item_source_viqeo" content="
“source =” viqeo “data-logger =” ArticleContent_embed_viqeo “>
