Posted Friday, 16 July
Alzheimer’s diagnosis method to change
Medical experts are proposing changes to the way Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed in order to treat it earlier before the onset of symptoms. This has been unaltered since 1984.
With the use of brain scan technology, experts expect the number of diagnoses to double or triple once the guidelines are put in place. This also includes spinal tap procedure, which researchers believe will detect the disease up to 10 years before dementia sets in.
The guidelines were put forward at an international conference in Hawaii this week.
Development of the guidelines, by panels of experts convened by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association, began a year ago due to a new understanding of the disease and new methods of detection, it was becoming clear that the old method of diagnosing Alzheimer’s was outdated.
“Our thinking has changed dramatically,” said Dr Paul Aisen, an Alzheimer’s researcher at the University of California.
“We now view dementia as a late stage in the process.”
Researchers are optimistic that one day, people in their 50’s will have a simple test and then take drugs to halt the progression of the disease.
An estimated 220,000 Australians suffer from dementia. There is still no cure.
