Alzheimer's can be detected up to 10 years before it appears

• April 25, 2024

One of the fears of the Adults , as they get closer and closer to the senescence , is suffering from Alzheimer's. But what would you think if you knew that this disease can be detected several years before it manifests ?, it would seem a bit crazy, is not it ?, but it's true.

An investigation with scanners, made by scientists of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Rush University Medical Center , in the United States, showed that patients who develop Alzheimer's disease present changes in the brain , specifically that some of the regions begin to shrink . This phenomenon can be detected even one of each before manifesting the symptoms of the disease.

In the research, published in the journal Neurology, experts say the finding is clear evidence that Alzheimer's begins to develop in the middle age and that early diagnosis It may be vital to give the patient an effective treatment.

For the purposes of this study, 65 patients participated, all of whom began the investigation with normal brain functions . During the course of 11 years, time in which they were followed up, scanners of images of magnetic resonance (IMR) to measure the thickness of regions of your brain .

Brain thinning

The results showed that 22% of the patients whose brains had a Average thickness they developed Alzheimer's. However, although none of the participants had the thicker brains developed the disorder, 55% of those with the brains more thin yes they suffered it.

As the doctor explains Brad Dickerson , neuroscientist who led the study, "we use what we know about the specific brain changes seen in patients with Alzheimer's dementia." We measured those areas in individuals who had no symptoms and eventually determined that those who developed the disease showed a subtle shrinkage a long time before they showed symptom "he adds.

The research suggests that you can take several years before this type of dementia produces visible symptoms ; therefore, any form of treatment given to the patient should begin in the middle age .

That's why, experts say, early diagnosis of the disease is essential.

As he points out Rebecca Wood , of the organization Alzheimer's Research Uk"This study supports growing evidence that changes associated with Alzheimer's disease begin long before symptoms begin to appear, but it was a small study and it needs to be expanded to confirm the accuracy of the symptoms. methods used in the prediction of Alzheimer's ", adds the expert.