Level of Daily Function Serves as Predictor of Alzheimer’s

By Rachel Stockton rachels at foodconsumer dot org

Alzheimer’s researchers are aware that if preventive medications for the disease are to be developed, there must be some sort of “gauge” to predict which patients will develop dementia and those who will likely not.

Some cognitive decline is normal in the course of aging; many times older adults repeat stories or have trouble remembering what day it is.  These types of memory glitches are referred to as mild cognitive impairment, or MCI.  The difference between MCI and early warning signs of dementia is that those who have MCI are still able to conduct their daily affairs with relative ease. Those who continue a downward cognitive decline will eventually be unable to manage household chores or hobbies.

The journal Archives of Neurology is reporting on a study that tried to determine which patients displaying MCI will go on to develop dementia.  A group of 111 people with MCI took part in the research; in the two years following, 28 of them developed Alzheimer’s.  From this study, researchers are now estimating that 10-15% of patients with MCI will go on to develop dementia each year.

The key predictor is daily function.  The Alzheimer’s Association recommends not waiting until a loved one can no longer pay bills, make coffee, or put a necktie on straight, as it may be too late to mitigate some level of cognitive damage by waiting.

Alzheimer’s management, according to the Association, is “timely diagnosis” and the “effective use” of available therapies.  If taken at the right time, the drugs currently available can modestly delay cognitive decline in about 50% of those who take them.  At this juncture, the most common medications prescribed can, at best, postpone the inevitable. 

Alzheimer’s is a demanding and invariably fatal taskmaster, causing brain cells to die because of some unknown “x” factor.  In order to determine what the particular anomaly that drives Alzheimer’s rapacious advancement is, researchers advise that loved ones be aware of MCI enough that they will go ahead and make an appointment with a physician to determine the proper course of action.  Researchers of the above mentioned study noted that the 111 subjects were already experiencing some of the more advanced symptoms of memory loss, which means that it’s possible that among the general population, the rate of decline might not be as rapid. 

This does not mean that delaying medical treatment is advisable; it merely emphasizes that the earlier intervention is sought, the more researchers can learn from their patients, hopefully securing a brighter future through scientific advancement.