Early detection and treatment of Alzheimer's makes a difference

A Finnish project (ALSOVA) has been following 240 patient-caregiver pairs, where the patient had very mild or mild Alzheimer's disease at the beginning of the study and had a family caregiver. A three-year follow-up of 115 patients has found that those diagnosed and treated very early were able to manage their everyday activities longer and suffered from less psychological and behavioral symptoms, compared to those diagnosed later.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-07/uoef-eda071813.php

[3574] Hallikainen, I., Hänninen T., Fraunberg M., Hongisto K., Välimäki T., Hiltunen A., et al.
(2013). Progression of Alzheimer's disease during a three-year follow-up using the CERAD-NB total score: Kuopio ALSOVA study.
International Psychogeriatrics. 25(Special Issue 08), 1335 - 1344.

alzheimers-diagnosis

Related News

Tracking preclinical Alzheimer's progression

New research supports the classification system for preclinical Alzheimer’s proposed two years ago. The classification system divides preclinical Alzheimer's into three stages:

Tau-amyloid ratio predicts MCI

Initial findings from an analysis of cerebrospinal fluid taken between 1995 and 2005 from 265 middle-aged healthy volunteers, of whom 75% had a close family member wi

‘Lopsided’ test scores may predict Alzheimer’s sooner

Cognitive testing for dementia has a problem in that low scores on some tests may simply reflect a person's weakness in some cognitive areas, or the presence of a relatively benign form of mild cognitive impairment (one that is not going to progress to dementia).

Predicting if MCI will progress to Alzheimer's

A French study has predicted with 90% accuracy which patients with mild cognitive impairment would receive a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease within the following two years.

Blood test predicts Alzheimer’s risk early

A five-year study involving 525 older adults (70+) found 46 had Alzheimer’s or aMCI and a further 28 went on to develop the conditions.

Atypical form of Alzheimer's disease more common than thought

Analysis of 1,821 Alzheimer’s brains has found that 11% of them actually suffered from a variant called hippocampal sparing Alzheimer’s. This subtype has been neither well recognized nor treated appropriately, but is now revealed to be relatively common.

Down Syndrome risk of Alzheimer’s connected to white matter integrity

Brain scans of 10 persons with Down syndrome but no dementia, 10 persons with Down syndrome and dementia, and 10 healthy controls, have revealed a linear correlation between cognitive ability and compromised

Late-life depression increases dementia risk

Late-life depression is associated with an increased risk for all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and, most predominantly,

Alzheimer's disease symptoms more subtle in people over 80

A study involving 105 people with Alzheimer's disease and 125 healthy older adults has compared cognitive function and brain shrinkage in those aged 60-75 and those aged 80+.

Diagnosis and prevalence of dementia & MCI — recent reports

Functional impairment good indicator of mild cognitive impairment

Pages