More than 100,000 people in Sweden are affected by Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy may have discovered a new method for its early detection.
- If a medication that affects the course of the disease does become available, it will probably be most effective during the early stages, says docent Johan Svensson from the Sahlgrenska Academy in a statement.
The study shows how analysing spinal fluid can help to detect Alzheimer's disease at an early stage.
- We measured levels of the biomarkers in the spinal fluid and found that high levels of these substances confirmed the diagnosis of Alzheimer's with a high degree of accuracy compared with levels in healthy controls and patients with other forms of dementia, says Svensson.
- We also saw that patients who hadn't yet met all the clinical criteria for Alzheimer's had similar levels of the biomarkers in their spinal fluid to patients who had developed the disease fully.
Caused by changes in the brain's nerve cells, the disease predominantly affects the memory and often leads to an early death. Alzheimer's results in not only considerable suffering for patients and their families, but also enormous costs to society.
