Could A Sniff Test Be Helpful In Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease?
Scientists from the Perelman School of Medicine, at the University of Pennsylvania, recently published results from a study they conducted, in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, which demonstrated that Alzheimer's disease might be diagnosed/detected accurately with a simple 'sniff test'.
Researchers have discovered that the sense of smell greatly declines in the early stages of Alzheimer's and so the sniff test will be able to help to gain more accuracy in diagnosing the illness. It might also be helpful in diagnosing another illness as well, like with the pre-dementia condition known as MCI (mild cognitive impairment); MCI quite often will later progress toward Alzheimer's dementia.
Quite often it is very difficult to diagnose Alzheimer's at an early stage because many people don't know until symptoms start to show. And this research offers the exciting possibility that the associated decline in the sense of smell with that illness, is a great way to try and go about gaining an early diagnoses for the illness.
It's currently estimated that there are about 5.4 million Americans who suffer with Alzheimer's disease, and the majority of those individuals are 65 years of age or older. Around the world, there are an additional 40+ million who have Alzheimer's or a similarly related dementia.
Pics:
pixabay
giphy
Sources:
https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2016/december/sniff-test-may-be-useful-in-diagnosing-early-alzheimers-disease
http://www.alz.org/facts/
http://www.futurity.org/sniff-test-alzheimers-1326342-2/
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/alzheimers-early-signs-dementia-memory-loss-declining-sense-of-smell-first-warning-brain-a7418356.html
I thought you were going to talk about Alzheimer's being sniffed out by dogs, like some cancers. That would be amazing wouldn't it?
Alzheimer's is scary - I've lived with it up close and personal and it's the most confusing disease to be around. One moment the person seems lucid and the next they are gone again. I do hope a cure or help comes soon to slow it down. FYI sometimes Alzheimer's can't be diagnosed until after death - autopsy. True.
i am also close to someone who for the most part we are sure has it but hasn't been officially diagnosed.. signs are sure there though, this smell thing is new though!
A loss of taste was something I noticed with my loved one., along with anger, paranoia, suspicion, hallucinations. And then, he didn't know anyone but me in the end. Thankfully they don't know what's happening when the embarrassing stuff happens.
Just be patient and kind and not challenge....I made the mistake of challenging him not in a bad way but by saying, You like cucumbers when he'd push the plate away and tell me to take them off the plate. If only we could do do overs..... ;/
it's such a hard thing to go through not only for the individual, but everyone around them who loves them
It is very difficult. I had the help of a nurse twice a week for bathing purposes and a bit of a break and I tried to get him into a day program but he wasn't having any of it. There is a lot of support from the Alzheimer's Society. I recommend them resourcing you. All the best!
Have you ever read a book called Still Alice? or seen the movie? It just occurred to me that it might be helpful to you....I wish I had seen it while I cared for my loved one.
no i haven't, thanks for the rec!
Hi @doitvoluntarily
Will they be able to slow down the disease by early detection?
Thanks for the interesting article.