Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most mysterious diseases known to mankind. The long-term neurological disease typically starts after 65 years of age and slowly destroys the brain from the inside and as a result, a severe loss of function and ultimately death is experienced by the patients. It is one of those diseases whose reasons are relatively unknown to the medical community. Some believe that genetics have a huge role to play in the disease’s eventual residence in the human body while others blame psychological and neural problems as its main cause. Anyway, there are drugs that slow down the whole process as it is impossible to stop them altogether, but if the brain has already been significantly damaged, there is nothing the doctors can do to stop it. The best way for the treatment of Alzheimer’s is early detection.
A revolutionary new blood test might be able to detect some early symptoms of the disease and help us pre-empt the treatment. The researchers behind this project believe that proteins involved in the disease’s formation can be detected via this amyloid-beta peptides test. These proteins begin to kill the cells in the vicinity, and they are also trying to figure out how to stop them.
The new immunochemical test will be done using an infrared sensor whose surface is coated with specific antibodies that extract the biomarkers that can indicate the presence of Alzheimer’s disease. The test can be performed on either blood or Cerebro Spinal Fluid (CSF) present in the spinal cord and medulla. Right now, the test can be confirmed 15 years before the actual attacks of the disease begin and the Early German Pilot Study Show a success rate of 84 percent. A major problem associated with Alzheimer’s is that when it can be clinically detected, massive, irreversible damages have already occurred in the brain.
This test will go a long way in keeping the disease at bay for as long as possible. We know how patient suffers from Dementia in the later stages. It is believed that can be delayed or avoided if the meds are started early enough thus prolonging human life in the process!
