Alzheimer's develops 10 years before symptoms

• April 28, 2024

The criteria for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's were established in 1984, during these 27 years, it has been evident that this pathology develops years before the dementia is present in the patient. You can already distinguish the process from the pre-clinical stage, to the MCI and to Alzheimer's as the disease evolves.

The Mild Cognitive Disorder (MCI *) by its abbreviations in English, it is a gradual cognitive deficiency that precedes the point when the symptoms interfere in the daily activities of the patient, reason why it is little perceptible between the relatives and the same person.

As you know the symptoms of the patient with Alzheimer's are: clear history of the progression of cognitive impairment and the loss of memory by episodes.

On the other hand, among the symptoms of MCI we find; conservation of independence in its activities without needing care; a concern in reference to a minimum change in some process of cognition, decadence in one or more domains of knowledge outside of normal, according to the age of the patient.

Changes have been observed in some markers specific in the brain (reflectors of amyloid and neuronal lesions) of patients with Alzheimer's . These markers become abnormal 10 years before the first clinical symptom.

The phase Pre-clinical disease is linked to these changes and is currently working on the study of the criteria for pre-clinical Alzheimer's, since once the MCI the degenerative process is very advanced. Scientists believe that if these biomarkers can be detected in time, the disease could be controlled in its infancy and delay the manifestation of dementia .

* Mild Cognitive Impairment

Source:American Miedical Association (June 2011)

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