Alzheimer Research
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, a large category of disorders that lead to a progressive deterioration of thinking and of memory. People affected with Alzheimer’s, normally 65 years old and above, also experience behavioral changes such as agitation, aggression and an inability to find the way even in familiar surroundings, in addition to cognitive and memory impairment.
Current Alzheimer research has yet to point out the real cause of the disorder, but there are many theories involved. The first real step to Alzheimer research happened in 1906 from the observations of Dr. Alois Alzheimer, for whom the disease was named after. After examining the brain tissue of a deceased dementia patient of his, he observed the “plaques and tangles”, both of which are now accepted as primary features of the disease. That is to say, if these plaques and tangles are present in a person’s brain, then that person has Alzheimer’s. But, of course, this could only be done post mortem and hence the need for another way of determining the presence of these plaques and tangles without need of dissecting the brain.
The next step in Alzheimer research, particularly in diagnosing the disease, is to eliminate other known diseases that can cause dementia or dementia-like symptoms. Afterwards, the patient is made to undergo a battery of psychological and memory tests in order to diagnose Alzheimer’s.
To increase accuracy in diagnosis even further, Alzheimer research also came up with brain imaging techniques, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). There is even one approach where a harmless radioactive chemical – a molecular “probe” or “marker” – that can be safely injected into the blood stream. This “probe” will eventually get into the brain where it attaches to tangles or plaques, “labeling” them in a way and allowing these features to be visualized in the imaging system. The clinician will then know just how many there are and apply the right dose of anti-plaque treatment.
A recent advancement in Alzheimer research takes the genetic approach to the disease. Scientists believe that Alzheimer’s and the “apoE4” gene are linked so that if a person has this particular strain of gene in his genetic coding, chances are he will develop Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer research has been done on genetic testing which can contribute to the accuracy and rapidity of diagnosis.
Age is another risk factor that is more obvious than the presence of the apoE4 gene. Alzheimer research shows that genes associated with Familial Alzheimer’s, which comprises about 7% of the Alzheimer population, are inherited. This means that the genes have something to do with the enormous family susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease.
There are many more Alzheimer research currently being done today. Although much of them are focused on finding treatment, therapies, and drugs to help patients, there are also studies that aim to prove the many hypotheses on Alzheimer’s.