New Ways for Earlier Detection of Alzheimer’s

Health Wellness

Researchers around the world have been busy trying to find ways to prevent, treat or just slow down the process of Alzheimer’s. They are trying to discover the exact causes, including how the plaque builds up and destroys brain cells and brain cell communication. They have been busy trying to find ways to prevent or reverse the plaque from accumulating.

At the moment there is still no cure or effective treatment for Alzheimer’s. The horrible form of dementia continues to take thousands of lives every year. It continues to destroy the lives of families trying to care for the victims of Alzheimer’s. It continues to financially devastate entire families and more.

In many cases, Alzheimer’s takes years to claim a life. The symptoms appear gradually and slowly become more noticeable as the years progress and this is one of the problems the medical world has in trying to help victims of Alzheimer’s.

Generally, by the time symptoms are exhibited, the ravages of Alzheimer’s have already been accumulating for a number of years and the damage is well on its way to total destruction.

So, what if there was a way that Alzheimer’s could be detected earlier? Many experts believe that if there was a way to detect Alzheimer’s earlier that current forms of treatment could be used to slow the progression and give the person more years of quality life

Breaking news indicates two new ways that might be able to detect Alzheimer’s earlier than current methods allow and some in the medical community are getting excited about them.

According to one report:

“A team of scientists has successfully trained a new artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to make accurate predictions regarding cognitive decline leading to Alzheimer’s disease.”

“Dr. Mallar Chakravarty, a computational neuroscientist at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, and his colleagues from the University of Toronto and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, designed an algorithm that learns signatures from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), genetics, and clinical data. This specific algorithm can help predict whether an individual’s cognitive faculties are likely to deteriorate towards Alzheimer’s in the next five years.”

“‘At the moment, there are limited ways to treat Alzheimer’s and the best evidence we have is for prevention. Our AI methodology could have significant implications as a ‘doctor’s assistant’ that would help stream people onto the right pathway for treatment. For example, one could even initiate lifestyle changes that may delay the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s or even prevent it altogether,’ says Chakravarty, an Assistant Professor in McGill University’s Department of Psychiatry.”

The second form of possible early detection is more unconventional and does not come from the medical world. While watching the news, I caught a report that banks and other financial institutions can help detect signs of Alzheimer’s early on.

They reported that Alzheimer’s victims often make double and triple payments on accounts. Anyone can accidently make a double payment by a simple computer click, but when it happens more than once it can be an early sign of Alzheimer’s. But what about if the person makes double or triple payments for different bills? That’s where the banks or financial institutions come in. If they notice these types of transactions occurring for the same account, then it’s possible that they could notify the person and recommend being tested for Alzheimer’s.

The third way to help with early detection is by those close to the person. If you notice small things from someone in the family, don’t try to hide it or deny it. By reporting it, you may just have helped to provide a longer productive and quality of life for that individual.

The bottom line is that the earlier it’s detected, the better for all involved.

Alzheimer’s Disease

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