Finding Early Indicators

One branch of research in the fight against Alzheimer's Disease is finding better ways to diagnose the disease definitively before the onset of recognizable dementia symptoms.  The earlier the disease can be diagnosed, the earlier the patient can be treated in the hopes of slowing the progression of the disease.  

One study indicates that evaluating a patient's executive functions may be a way to look for Alzheimer's.  Executive functions allow you to plan and organize, manage time and pay attention among other things.  Executive functions are compromised in individuals with ADHD.

Other studies hope to find that PET scans or fMRI may be able to detect markers in the disease earlier.

Yet another indicates that a blood test may ultimately be derived to  help diagnosis Alzheimer's.

One of the more interesting studies has found that amyloid clusters in the eyes as well as the brain and can be made to cause a probe to fluoresce when present.

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