Detecting Alzheimer’s early on can help lead to a better quality of life for those that are suffering from it. Doctors believe that there are things that can be done to reduce the likelihood that someone will get the disease and things that can be done to slow the progression of it. But a lot of this success in improving quality of life for those with the disease revolves around detecting it early.
The main symptoms of Alzheimer’s include memory loss, cognitive decline, disorientation, language problems, mood changes, loss of initiative, and motor difficulties. Over time, the symptoms tend to worsen, impacting daily functioning and quality of life. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease. Unfortunately, there’s no known cure for the disease. Doctors hope to minimize the negative impact that these symptoms have on the quality of life that someone experiences.
But in addition to the physically observed symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, there are things that happen internally when the disease is present. These biomarkers are not visible, but they can be detected through blood tests or other methods. That’s what this new study points to. Through the use of different sensor molecules, this team of researchers found that amyloid proteins could be more easily detected.
Amyloid proteins are a hallmark feature of Alzheimer’s. It’s been known for quite some time that these proteins help contribute to the cell death that causes the outward symptoms that are so prevalent with the disease. In the past, these proteins were not detectable while someone was still alive. Current research has started to change this level of detection over the last several years. For example, it’s known that PET scans detect amyloid proteins. However, this is a complex procedure and can be expensive to conduct. Not everyone has the ability to afford this and not all insurance policies will cover it.
Hopefully, this method can help lead to even earlier detection. The new method relies on fluorescence imaging. The research into this method indicates that it is simpler and less costly, all while being just as effective at helping to detect Alzheimer’s. There’s even the potential that this method can help to distinguish between different types of amyloid proteins, which could help with more targeted treatment.
This research comes from the American Chemical Society and was published in the journal, ACS Sensors. The hope is that the findings here, and the future research that builds off of it, can help doctors do a better job of detecting and then treating Alzheimer’s disease. Treatment currently revolves around alleviating symptoms and slowing the spread of the disease. This research hopes to help with both of these things.
We are here to help. If you have questions about how professional level senior care can help a loved one with dementia, feel free to get in touch with us. One of our trained caregivers would be happy to help you and answer any questions you might have. Give us a call today to learn more about Paradise In-Home Care and how we can potentially help.
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