Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that affects many people around the world, but detecting it in its early stages has always been a challenge.
The disease is characterized by cognitive decline, memory loss, and changes in behavior. Typically, its early signs can be subtle and often get mistaken for normal aging.
What’s the New Research About?
A new study conducted by Mass General Brigham has found that a simple phone menu navigation task can detect the earliest changes in people at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers discovered that an individual’s performance on the task was associated with the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s pathology, including deposits of proteins called amyloid and tau in the brain.
Gad Marshall, M.D., senior author on the paper, said that this test is a more objective way to assess daily functioning as opposed to traditional methods, which usually involve a questionnaire filled out by someone who knows the individual well.
This could potentially allow for earlier detection of clinically meaningful changes.
How Was the Study Conducted?
The researchers, including those from the Departments of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at McLean Hospital, used the Harvard Automated Phone Task (APT).
This task simulates three scenarios an older person might encounter on a phone menu: refilling a prescription, calling a health insurance company to select a new primary care physician, and handling a banking transaction.
The participants and their study partner, someone who knows them well, completed various assessments related to daily activities, followed by standard cognitive testing and brain scans showing amyloid and tau pathology.
What Were the Findings?
The study found that nearly a third of participants who were clinically normal (without cognitive impairment) showed evidence of elevated amyloid and tau in their brains and had difficulty with more challenging daily functioning tasks.
These are common symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease patients, who often start with short-term memory difficulties, problems with finding words, and a decreased sense of direction.
However, the authors note that the assessment only represents a small part of daily functioning, and not everyone uses these tasks.
The majority of the study participants were white and non-Hispanic, indicating a need for more diverse study populations.
What Does This Mean for Alzheimer’s Detection?
This research is significant as it indicates that using sensitive assessments like the APT may identify Alzheimer’s disease before a patient develops more pronounced cognitive changes.
This could potentially lead to early intervention and better management of the disease.
Chris Gonzalez, M.S., a first author of the study, said, “Having a task like the Harvard APT could better capture an individual’s overall ability to complete complex everyday tasks rather than the questionnaires that are given to patients… to better understand the preclinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease.”
If you care about Alzheimer’s, please read studies about the root cause of Alzheimer’s disease, and new non-drug treatments could help prevent Alzheimer’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and Coconut oil could help improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease.
The study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
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