Early Alzheimer's Detection: Understanding Risk & Diagnostic Methods

Alzheimer's disease is a frightening condition in which brain cells can no longer communicate effectively with each other and, in some cases, with other parts of the body. Over time, it can lead to serious senility and dementia. Fortunately, there are medical treatments that can halt or stall the progression of the disease, but the earlier you catch it, the better your odds of treating it.

Instructions

• 1

  Have your spinal fluid tested. While the results are certainly not guaranteed to indicate your condition forever, shortly before the first noticeable symptoms of Alzheimer's manifest themselves, certain proteins in your spinal fluid may increase in concentration. Scientists use these proteins as "biomarkers" to determine if you are at risk for Alzheimer's.

• 2

  Get tested with Pittsburgh compound B (PIB). This chemical enables doctors to look at at an image of your brain and detect the presence of beta-amyloid peptides, which are the plaques that ultimately block the communication between brain cells and cause Alzheimer's disease.

• 3

  Ask for an MRI. PIB tests are very expensive and usually not available to the general public, though they are being tested and are expected to become commonly used within five years. However, a high intensity MRI or your brain may enable a doctor to detect the beta-amyloid peptide plaques as well.

• 4

  Have your doctor track your brain structure. People who will someday develop Alzheimer's disease have changes in their brain structure including loss of brain volume. These changes are often evident as many as four years before the first symptoms occur.