CHICAGO: Occasional forgetfulness and disorientation, leading to progressive memory loss and personality changes are characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This neurodegenerative disorder can neither be reversed nor cured.
A team of scientists and clinicians used simple memory tests to see if brain function impairment can occur before detectable AD symptoms can manifest. Senior citizens aged 65 and above were administered the memory tests and their scores were recorded. They retook the test every three years and the research group monitored the mental health of the participants over a period of 18 years. Out of the 2125 participants, 442 (~21%) developed Alzheimer’s disease during the follow up period. Interestingly, the ones that developed the disease were the ones with the lowest scores on the memory test, suggesting that brain function starts declining well before dementia and other symptoms set in. People who scored less in the first year of the study had a ten times higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s than the ones who did well…