Alzheimer's is a disease that robs thousands of people each year of their memories, their personalities, and the ability to complete daily activities. The disease can greatly affect the quality of life of every sufferer in addition to those people around him, most especially immediate family members.
For a long time, most people believe that there's nothing that could be done to prevent this awful disease. People came to accept it due to deteriorating of mental abilities due to age. It was considered as simply something that people had to cope up with when approaching their golden years of life. But doctors today have discovered and now consider Alzheimer's as a disease that may be treated up to some extent.
The hallmark sign associated with Alzheimer's disease is the gradual loss of memory especially in people of 65 years and older. Although forgetfulness is a sign of the said disease, it should also be noted that we now have other signs that may also indicate the onset of this ailment. Before picking out your own conclusions, it is advisable to know more about Alzheimer's through its exhibited signs, how it may be diagnosed and how it is going to affects the sufferer.
Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease can be done through a series of tests. The patient exhibiting some signs of the disease must undergo a variety of laboratory tests, such as physical and mental assessments. As of late, there isn't any known single test available that will effectively diagnose Alzheimer's in patients.
But with recent developments and advances in the medical field, doctors have been able to devise a set of Alzheimer's disease testing tools that can assist in effectively detect symptoms of the disease in its earlier stages.
As of yet, there is no single definitive test that has the capacity to determine if one has Alzheimer's disease. But it really is a battery of testing that is available that makes it possible for physicians to diagnose Alzheimer's with about 90 percent accuracy. Such battery of tests can take anywhere from one day to several weeks so that you can ensure accuracy and the proper diagnosis.
Among the various tests available there is a bouquet of tests that has recently been developed that will further help make diagnosing Alzheimer's disease easier. A professor of psychology at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, has developed a new tool for testing called the Seven Minute Screen that can test people for the early signs of Alzheimer's disease in addition to other forms of dementia.
The said test, developed by Paul Solomon, is really a set of four tests that can be administered to patients in just less than ten minutes, may also be completed on average of just seven minutes and forty three seconds. What makes the said test even more convenient is that it may be administered by any medical professional with more than an hour of basic training.
The short time that it takes for completing the whole test is an attractive option for doctors who may not have the luxury of time when they're diagnosing patients with Alzheimer's.
This kind of test is only a part of a much larger effort by medical researchers to develop better ways of detecting Alzheimer's early. A likely option that some researchers are trying to look into is the use of brain scanning technology such as magnetic resonance imaging or MRI to identify even the smallest damage to the brain before any impairment in cognitive ability ever show up in people likely to develop Alzheimer's. Other possible approaches being studied involve looking for gene abnormalities in patients which have been linked to Alzheimer's disease.
For a long time, most people believe that there's nothing that could be done to prevent this awful disease. People came to accept it due to deteriorating of mental abilities due to age. It was considered as simply something that people had to cope up with when approaching their golden years of life. But doctors today have discovered and now consider Alzheimer's as a disease that may be treated up to some extent.
The hallmark sign associated with Alzheimer's disease is the gradual loss of memory especially in people of 65 years and older. Although forgetfulness is a sign of the said disease, it should also be noted that we now have other signs that may also indicate the onset of this ailment. Before picking out your own conclusions, it is advisable to know more about Alzheimer's through its exhibited signs, how it may be diagnosed and how it is going to affects the sufferer.
Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease can be done through a series of tests. The patient exhibiting some signs of the disease must undergo a variety of laboratory tests, such as physical and mental assessments. As of late, there isn't any known single test available that will effectively diagnose Alzheimer's in patients.
But with recent developments and advances in the medical field, doctors have been able to devise a set of Alzheimer's disease testing tools that can assist in effectively detect symptoms of the disease in its earlier stages.
As of yet, there is no single definitive test that has the capacity to determine if one has Alzheimer's disease. But it really is a battery of testing that is available that makes it possible for physicians to diagnose Alzheimer's with about 90 percent accuracy. Such battery of tests can take anywhere from one day to several weeks so that you can ensure accuracy and the proper diagnosis.
Among the various tests available there is a bouquet of tests that has recently been developed that will further help make diagnosing Alzheimer's disease easier. A professor of psychology at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, has developed a new tool for testing called the Seven Minute Screen that can test people for the early signs of Alzheimer's disease in addition to other forms of dementia.
The said test, developed by Paul Solomon, is really a set of four tests that can be administered to patients in just less than ten minutes, may also be completed on average of just seven minutes and forty three seconds. What makes the said test even more convenient is that it may be administered by any medical professional with more than an hour of basic training.
The short time that it takes for completing the whole test is an attractive option for doctors who may not have the luxury of time when they're diagnosing patients with Alzheimer's.
This kind of test is only a part of a much larger effort by medical researchers to develop better ways of detecting Alzheimer's early. A likely option that some researchers are trying to look into is the use of brain scanning technology such as magnetic resonance imaging or MRI to identify even the smallest damage to the brain before any impairment in cognitive ability ever show up in people likely to develop Alzheimer's. Other possible approaches being studied involve looking for gene abnormalities in patients which have been linked to Alzheimer's disease.
