New dementia test proves promising
A new method of detecting the early signs of dementia has delivered impressive results in a preliminary study at the University of Cambridge.
Accurate early detection could greatly increase the potential benefits of a barrage of new treatments under development for Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia. More prompt and effective treatment could enhance the quality of life for patients and their families and ease the demand for care services, according to the researchers involved.
Dr Andrew Blackwell, Professor Barbara Sahakian and colleagues found that combining two simple learning and memory tests with the person’s age could predict whether a mild memory impairment would end up as a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s disease 32 months later. Tests carried out on patients at the Addenbrooke’s Hospital Memory Clinic has shown the test to be 100% accurate.
The team is now applying the method to a non-clinical sample of elderly people, and it is proving a very sensitive measure of cognitive deterioration.
Dr Blackwell claims the test is an ‘important breakthrough in our understanding of the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.’
But Professor Sahakian stresses there are ‘compelling ethical questions’ raised by the research, with regard to the impact on individuals receiving a devastating diagnosis, and the implications of early treatment.
The ageing population in the UK heightens the importance of progress on the diagnosis and treatment of dementia. The Alzheimer’s Society estimates dementia currently affects over 700,000 people in the UK, most of whom are over 65. The incidence is increasing.
The research is published on line in the journal Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders this week.
