The progress of Alzheimer`s, followed by dementia

For years, scientists have attempted to understand how Alzheimer's disease harms the brain before memory loss and dementia are clinically detectable. Most researchers think this preclinical stage, which can last a decade or more before symptoms appear, is the critical phase when the disease might be controlled or stopped, possibly preventing the failure of memory and thinking abilities in the first place. Scientists at the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, working in collaboration with investigators at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, helped to validate a proposed new system for identifying and classifying individuals with preclinical Alzheimer's disease. “Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease might also be associated with other life-threatening illnesses”, Fagan said. “It's also possible that the presence of Alzheimer's hampers the diagnosis and treatment of other conditions or contributes to health problems elsewhere in the body. We don't have enough data yet to say, but it's an issue we're continuing to investigate”.