Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease primarily associated with dementia. It's one of the leading causes of memory impairment amongst humans. However, the causative agent remains unknown. While scientists have rigorously undergone several tests to root out its cause, others have reported seeking measures to control its late onset. 

Worldwide, Alzheimer’s disease is a significant cause of mental degeneration. Many factors predispose humans to the disease. Aging is also an essential factor. Some scientists have predicted a surge in Alzheimer's by 2030. It would be prevalent among the aging group. From a clinical approach, it's a tremendous deterioration in memory consolidation and cognitive effectiveness. Patients become slower in thinking and verbal communication. 

Other symptoms are also associated with Alzheimer's disease, such as a decrease in gait, depression (seen in 70% of patients), and a decline in behavioral health. Patients become aggressive and sometimes become hyperactive. Biomarkers are available for the early detection of Alzheimer's. The cerebrospinal fluid markers are more effective than the conventional plasma markers in diagnosing the disease. When an Alzheimer's patient was compared to a healthy patient, it was discovered that there was a high level of amyloid PET. 

There's also a minor increase in Tau protein. Many argue that these biomarkers may not be as efficient as they thought, especially for the plasma levels. Certain factors may be responsible for the increase. Currently, 4 effective drugs are meant to treat the disease. It hasn't been adequate to reduce its manifestation. These cholinesterase inhibitor drugs may become ineffective in the long run of the disease. 

In the next 10 years, if no further research is done, it might be one of the most tragic medical challenges among older people. After many years, a non-invasive method is being reviewed to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. Compared to other methods like lumbar puncture, which can discomfort the patients. A simple memory test will do the trick. 

According to an online issue of the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, published in February 2022, a bad score on a memory test may be a sign of biomarkers for the disease. However, questions are looming in the minds of clinical experts:

1.  Could this be a development in the early diagnosis of the disease?

2. How effective would the test prove when compared to a control?

Hope at the end of the tunnel?

A memory test would prevent the disease from getting to the memory impairment l stage. The test is a simple yet constructive one. A cue card was shown to some older participants, in which they would be required to remember every item on the card by themselves. Older persons were grouped into 4 to 5 groups starting from zero.  Stage zero to stage 2 consists of people who have difficulty in remembrance. The remaining states consist of people who don't remember the item shown to them. Brain scans were also taken of every participant.

At the end of the test, it was revealed that people in the last 2 stages had a higher amount of beta-amyloid in their brains compared to the other groups. Scientists viewed the result as a tracker to detect symptoms in pre- and post-dementia. Further research is still ongoing in the test, but hopefully, it may serve as a precursor for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease.

References

• degruyter.com

• sciencedaily.com