Scientific breakthrough: Will it be possible to delay the development of Alzheimer's?

Another scientific breakthrough in the study of the incurable Alzheimer's disease: researchers have found evidence of changes in the cerebrospinal fluid in Alzheimer's patients, which appear many years before the first symptoms. The findings may in the future lead to early diagnosis and possibly treatment that will allow delaying the disease in the early stages. The study was published in the new issue of the prestigious New England Journal.

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For twenty years, researchers from the Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders in Beijing followed 648 people who were eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, compared to a control group that had a similar number of participants and remained healthy throughout the years of the study.

In Alzheimer's patients, the researchers found evidence of an increase in the levels of the proteins amyloid and tau, which accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and cause the destruction of nerve fibers. The level of these proteins began to rise 14 to 18 years before the first symptoms of the disease appeared. The findings do not yet have practical consequences, but it is possible that a very early diagnosis will allow in the future to develop new drugs that will succeed already at the first signs of the disease in delaying its onset and possibly prolonging life.

According to estimates, there are over 150,000 dementia patients living in Israel, most of whom suffer from Alzheimer's. The disease manifests itself in the accumulation of proteins in the brain and the gradual destruction of neurons that cause a deterioration in thinking functions, a decrease in memory, concentration, learning and language functions until the loss of independence. Alzheimer's disease is incurable. There are several medications that in some patients manage to slightly delay the progression of the disease, but they do not lead to a cure.

The diagnosis of the disease is carried out by a neurologist and includes a review of the medical history, a description of the symptoms, oral and written cognitive tests, imaging tests, blood tests and sometimes also a test of the spinal fluid that measures the amount of proteins characteristic of the disease.

The symptoms of the disease usually progress in three stages: in the first stage of the disease, the patients or their relatives report a decrease in short-term memory, such as difficulty remembering meetings and events, a tendency to repeat statements and questions, distraction, difficulty retrieving names of people or places, and later also difficulty retrieving words and narrowing my lips. Difficulties in spatial orientation can also appear in the early stages of the disease, especially in places less familiar to the patient. The onset of the disease can also be characterized by changes in mood with a tendency to despondency and even depression, anxiety states, a change in personality and behavior and a decrease in social skills.

In the second stage, which lasts two to eight years, the patient has difficulty recognizing people he knows such as friends and relatives, he is unable to remember how to finish simple daily tasks such as showering and brushing his teeth, shows increasing confusion and worry and suffers from hallucinations and insomnia. With the progression of the disease and damage to the ability to think, the decrease in the ability to manage complex functions and activities of daily life is noticeable. At this stage, a reduction in daily and social activity is noticeable and the patient shows less interest in the environment and even apathy.

In the third and advanced stage of the disease, which lasts one to three years, there is damage to all brain functions (thinking, communication and movement). The patient no longer recognizes his close family members, has difficulty eating, does not understand the meaning of words and is unable to dress, bathe or control his bowels. At this stage, severe behavioral disorders such as suspicion, false thoughts and hallucinations can also appear.