1. New Guidelines for Diagnosing Alzheimer's
Disease
One of the most concerning aspects of Alzheimer's disease for those living with the condition,
their families and their home care companies is the absence of a definitive cure.
However, scientists across the world are researching potential cures and knowledge about the
condition is increasing all the time. Even though a cure has yet to be discovered, the increased
knowledge and awareness of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are helping to
improve best practice in dementia care.
Updated guidelines: the key to better dementia care?
Earlier in April 2011, scientists in the USA updated their guidelines for diagnosing Alzheimers
therapy : the first significant update for nearly 30 years.
The original guidelines, established in 1984, defined Alzheimer's as having a single stage,
dementia, and diagnosis was based solely on clinical symptoms. The recent update identifies
three stages of an Alzheimer's diagnosis (brain changes, mild cognitive impairment symptoms,
and finally an evaluation of the mental decline caused by the condition).
The concept that Alzheimer's disease can be diagnosed before memory loss has become apparent
is groundbreaking and, hopefully, one step closer to a cure. In the meantime, medical
professionals can potentially use the new guidelines to identify individuals in need of dementia
care before they show any obvious signs of memory loss: a significant step forward.
Possible cures for Alzheimer's disease
Potential cures for Alzheimer's disease fall into three main areas of research:
Protein plaques in the brain
At the present time, many of the potential treatments and cures for are focused on the protein
plaques that appear in the brains of individuals with the condition. The idea is to find a treatment
that will remove these plaques and in doing so reverse and remove the presence of Alzheimer's.
