Predicting Alzheimer’s
February 6th, 2006 by RespiteMatch.com(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid may help predict a patient’s progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.
Previous research shows damage to axons and neurons in Alzheimer’s disease begins decades before signs of the neurological condition appear.
Researchers from Sweden found the relative progression from MCI to Alzheimer’s disease is significantly increased in patients with abnormal concentrations of certain biomarkers in their cerebrospinal fluid, which is the fluid between one’s brain and spinal cord.
They say, “If validated in other consecutive studies with long follow-up, these results may have an effect both on the diagnostic work-up and on thee design of clinical trails of patients with mild cognitive impairment.”
Nearly half of people between ages 90 and 95 are affected by dementia, and this study revealed nearly half of people with MCI develop Alzheimer’s.
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SOURCE: The Lancet Neurology, 2006;5:228-234
