Researchers Develop Quick Alzheimer’s Test

Worried you or a loved one might be showing signs of Alzheimer's disease? Researchers say a new test can let you know for sure in about 30 seconds time.

A new study, led by Professor David Bunce, while at the Center for Mental Health Research at The Australian National University, has revealed that some apparently healthy adults aged between 44 and 48 years have tiny, white matter lesions in areas of their brains similar to those found in persons with Alzheimer's later in life.

These lesions can potentially be predicted via a 30-second test that measures a patient's response time. With further research, the test could become commonplace in GPs' surgeries within two years.

The research also suggests that the neurological decline thought to lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease may begin much earlier in people's lives than was originally thought.

Signs can be present in people in their 40s

"Although we cannot be certain that these middle-aged people will go on to get dementia, the results are important," Bunce said. "First, the study is one of the first to show that lesions in areas of the brain that deteriorate in dementia are present in some adults aged in their 40s. Second, although the presence of the lesions was confirmed through MRI scans, we were able to predict those persons who had them through very simple tests."

If the findings are repeated in laboratories elsewhere, Bunce says the study lays open possibilities for screening, early detection and intervention in healthcare settings.

"The earlier we can intervene with people vulnerable to eventual dementia, the greater the chances of preventing or delaying the disease onset, he said.

The researchers' paper, 'Cognitive Deficits are associated with Frontal and Temporal Lobe White Matter Lesions in Middle-Aged Adults Living in the Community' is published in the open-access journal Public Library of Science-One.

Looming problem

With the huge baby boom generation headed told old age, health officials are worried that Alzheimer's could reach epidemic proportions in the years ahead. For that reason researchers have refocused their efforts, not just on early detection but an effective treatment.

As of now, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, though some recent research has shown promise. In July, Researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London reported that a simple blood test could soon give Alzheimer's patients ten years advance warning that they will get the disease. The breakthrough came after researchers found high levels of a protein can be an early sign of the condition.

Alzheimer's is a brain disease that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Although current Alzheimer's treatments cannot stop the disease from progressing, they can temporarily slow the symptoms and improve the quality of life for those with the disease and their caregivers.