Early Alzheimer’s Detection

If someone you love starts behaving in erratic ways, or suddenly becomes forgetful or even confused, it could be the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease. But how can you be sure? Certainly you should continue to observe them, but once you are fairly certain that there’s something abnormal going on, the next step is to make an appointment for them to be seen by a physician.

Early Alzheimer’s detection is beneficial in that it enables a plan to be put in place and good routines to be developed. Your doctor will be able to prescribe medications right from the start that can slow the disease’s progression.

In fact, many physicians now believe that routine screening for Alzheimer’s should be a part of normal check-ups as people age. Just like monitoring a patient’s weight, heart rate and blood pressure, keeping track of a person’s cognitive functioning through key questions could be a part of a normal physical.

And in the case of Alzheimer’s, since those who are afflicted with the disease might not be fully aware of a potential problem, family members play a key role in bringing the symptoms to the attention of the doctor. Don’t be afraid to discuss your concerns with professionals in the medical field.


Testing for early Alzheimer’s

There are a variety of screenings that can be performed to determine early Alzheimer’s, and certain companies have made marketing claims that lead people to believe these can easily detect early Alzheimer’s, but often these claims are misleading. Contrary to popular opinion, scientists believe that brain scans and genetic screenings are not the most effective way to diagnose early Alzheimer’s. Nothing so far takes the place of a thorough physical exam as well as a complete neurological exam. This will enable the doctor to rule out other possible causes like stroke or depression.

And some simple psychological tests can lead to diagnosing Alzheimer’s in its very earliest stages, sometimes even years before serious symptoms set in. One such test has volunteers connect letters and numbers in a certain amount of time. It sounds pretty basic, but researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital say that it is very effective.

Some of the newer early detection methods include using an EEG, high-level brain scans, neuropsychological tests (using simple paper and pencil), genetic testing, and even scratch and sniff tests that can predict future loss of smell.


How early is too early?

As scientists come up with ways to diagnose Alzheimer’s earlier and earlier, there has been some debate about how beneficial it is to tell patients they have very early Alzheimer’s. Each patient and family should be taken into account individually. There are pros and cons for people knowing they have a disease like Alzheimer’s perhaps years before debilitating symptoms start to show up.

Five to ten years ago, researchers were not concerned with the issue of predicting early Alzheimer’s in otherwise normal individuals. But new screening methods are developed and studied, scientists are now combining various tests to make as accurate an assessment as possible.


More options, more hope

With such a progressive, debilitating disease like Alzheimer’s, early detection does provide patients and families more options for treatment. More options for care offer hope and comfort to Alzheimer’s sufferers, so it’s better to face early Alzheimer’s head-on so you can begin to make decisions about long-term care and other important considerations.