September 05, 2017

Today’s Top Alzheimer’s News

MUST READS

A September 5, 2017 CNN article reported on an experimental blood test that can accurately (up to up to 86%) diagnose Alzheimer's disease. It is able to differentiate between AD and dementia with Lewy bodies. According to Doug Brown of the Alzheimer's Society (UK), “Current methods of diagnosing dementia can be slow and expensive, so finding a cheap, quick test that can accurately identify if someone has dementia is a top priority for researchers.” 


A September 4, 2017 Huff Post United Kingdom article by Dr. James Pickett articulated that people with dementia deserve and need more from science than they are currently getting. It can take up to two decades and hundreds of scientific papers before testing a potential treatment. Certain drugs have limited commercial value and therefore cannot find funding for trials, or lifestyle interventions such as exercise are unlikely to generate profits.  


RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A September 4, 2017 Medical Xpress article identified the TOMM40 gene, neighbor to ApoE4, as a major genetic marker of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. According to T. Em Arpawong of USC, “Typically, ApoE4 has been considered the strongest known genetic risk factor for cognitive decline, memory decline, Alzheimer's disease or dementia-related onset. Although prior studies have found some variants of this other gene TOMM40 may heighten the risk for Alzheimer's disease, our study found that a TOMM40 variant was actually more influential than ApoE4 on the decline in immediate memory—the ability to hold onto new information.” 


GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

A September 4, 2017 Independent article told the story of Becky Barletta, just 32 years old and diagnosed with fronto-temporal lobe dementia. As one of the youngest people to receive a diagnosis of the hereditary illness, her uncle passed away with the condition in his 50’s, as well as her cousin who was diagnosed in her 40’s.