Brain Scans May Indicate Alzheimer’s Long Before Symptoms, by Dr. Bruce Lasker

The key to treating Alzheimer’s is timing. While there is no cure, the sooner a patient is given proper medication, the more brain function they are able to retain and the slower the disease will progress.

An ongoing study at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, tested patients pre-disposed to Alzheimer’s by the presence of the disorder in one or both parents. The study discovered changes in brain scans that may indicate the disease as early as 25 years before any cognitive impairment is noticed.

While changes in spinal fluid appeared as the first warning, small plaque deposits appeared within 15 years of disease onset. These figures were determined by assuming that the manifestation of Alzheimer’s would occur at the same age as the parent.

The next step of the research design is to begin treatment with Alzheimer’s medications, such as Aricept or Razadyne, to see if such early care will prevent manifestation during the patient’s natural lifetime. Even if symptoms appear, it is believed that such early care could delay their arrival and significantly slow any progression.

Dr. Bruce Lasker is a neurologist specializing in geriatric cognitive disorders, specifically Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Practicing at Pacific Neurology in San Diego, Dr. Bruce Lasker has also taught in the department of neurosciences with the University of California San Diego.