For years, work has been ongoing at medical centres all over the world, with researchers trying to find ways of detecting Alzheimer's disease at an early stage before it takes hold. A significant part of this research has been focusing on biomarkers and imaging techniques, and their ability to flag up tell-tale signs that may help doctors to diagnose the onset of the disease.
New guidelines on Alzheimer's, issued by America's National Institute on Ageing, have been based on research which has shown symptoms of the disease may not start to show until 10 years after the disease has begun to start affecting a patient's brain.
Writing in the New York Times Newspaper, Dr Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, said the main message behind the new guidelines is that we need to start diagnosing the disease much earlier. He said when it comes to finding ways of identifying when someone is suffering from the disease, what the research industry needs is more accurate biomarkers.
Dr Kennedy said the biomarkers that are currently being used in the world of medical research are not standardised outside of laboratories and what is needed is a firm connection that is predictive. Until there is a consistent, solid link, then biomarkers will not be used to help detect Alzheimer's in the setting of a doctor's office or a hospital. As a result, what is needed is more research into biomarkers to help researchers improve their knowledge and broaden their understanding of the changes that happen in the brain when Alzheimer's has taken hold, and the signs the body provides of these changes.
Work has been carried out into beta-amyloid and efforts are underway to help discover a way of testing levels of the protein in the brain during life. Currently, it is only used to accurately diagnose Alzheimer's disease during post-mortems. Research into this important area is ongoing and a considerable amount of time and money is being invested by companies and charities all over the world.
In Britain, dementia is a major problem, and it is estimated that around 60,000 people die after contracting the disease every single year. The Alzheimer's Society believes that 750,000 people currently have the disease in the UK and that by 2025, that number could top one million. Researchers are working harder than ever to try and find a way to detect Alzheimer's disease at the earliest possible stage to help improve the lives of sufferers.
Having access to biomarkers research can make all the difference and biomarkers are sure to continue to play a key role in the research process.
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Dr. Eric Reiman explains what is needed for the lauch of a new reasearch movement for Alzheimer's disease. (00:57) |
