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New research may help identify Alzheimer's earlier Date published: 6/30/2006
Mind probe
THIS IS THE KIND of news most of us don't want to remember: that The new issue of Neurology presents the results of a study that looked at the brains of 134 elderly people who appeared to have nothing more than occasional forgetfulness. The study found that over a third of the participants' brains had some of the characteristics--including similar patterns of deterioration--found in Alzheimer's patients. That sounds like worrisome news to many of us, but Dallas Anderson, a scientist at the National Institute on Aging, calls the results "plausible and hopeful." The reason: If doctors can spot the killer disease earlier, they might be able to embark on treatment and prevention before a patient has been afflicted beyond hope. Millions of Americans pray for a cure for the debilitating condition that robs sufferers of the ability to care for themselves and makes life a daily agony for relatives. Until such time as there is a cure, though, researchers suggest taking on more mentally stimulating activities like classes, reading, or crossword puzzles. To paraphrase Shakespeare, if games be the stuff of life, play on.
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