Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. If you don’t know what dementia is, fear not. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning and behavioral abilities that interferes with daily life. Alzheimer’s in particular is a progressive brain disorder that degrades memory, behavior, reasoning, and motor skills. It is ultimately fatal. Currently, there are 46 million people living with dementia worldwide. That number has been predicted to rise to almost 132 million by 2050.
So, what causes Alzheimer’s? Basically, it’s the build up of abnormal proteins in the brain that rupture the connections between brain cells, causing them to die. This begins anywhere between 5-10 years prior to the onset of symptoms. Well, what causes that? Great question. We don’t know. It could be genetics, age, environmental factors, lifestyle choices, the list goes on. We’re still working on that one.
On a more serious note, we’ve all heard the stories of loved ones, whether they’re our own or those of someone else, being affected by this heartbreaking disease. Scientists and researchers have been working for years to not only develop a treatment for Alzheimer’s, but also ways to detect it before the onset of symptoms. And just recently, they may have made some progress. A new imaging compound called Fluselenemyl has been shown to be 2-10 times more effective at detecting protein blocks in the brain than 3 other approved imaging agents. According to Vijay Sharma, a professor of radiology, neurology, and biomedical engineering, “Fluselenemyl is both more sensitive and likely more specific than current agents.” This means it may be able to detect the changes of the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease earlier than ever before. Why is this important? So far, most of the treatments we have for Alzheimer’s may only be effective in the early, or better yet, preclinical (meaning before the onset of symptoms) stages of the disease. Heir go, the earlier we can detect Alzheimer's, the better chance there is of being able to effectively treat it. Keep in mind, by treat, I mean the symptoms, which can improve and possibly prolong the patients life. But unfortunately, Alzheimer's is still incurable.
Anyways, I’ll leave the link to the article if anyone wants to read it themselves.
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