Alzheimer's is a nasty disease, resulting in progressive, permanent, neurological deterioration, leading eventually to dementia - and the loss of the unique you that existed before the disease - even if your heart remains strong and your body robust. The causes and progression of Alzheimer's are not well understood.
One of the reasons research in Alzheimer's has been hampered is because of a lack of a reliable method to diagnose it. Alzheimer's is diagnosed with a constellation of symptoms, including memory loss, mood swings, aggression, symptoms of mental decline, and, most notably, amyloid plaques on the brain. Amyloid plaques - bunches of protein fibers in the gray matter of the brain - are necessary for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's, but testing for their presence was not possible until after the person died and their brain could be examined in an autopsy.
A new study shows great promise in the detection of these plaques, however. In this research, radioactive dye is injected into the brain. This "lights up" the plaques in brain scans, and therefore makes them viewable. This is important for a variety of reasons.
Brain scans that showed plaque could help with some fundamental questions — who has or is getting Alzheimer’s, whether the disease ever stops or slows down on its own and even whether plaque is the main culprit causing brain cell death.Being able to accurately diagnose Alzheimer's would be pivotal in the development of means by which to combat its effects. For example, we might be able to identify people who were in the process of getting Alzheimer's - a breakthrough that could provide help to people before declines begin. It would also give us more information about whether or not new drugs developed to treat it were working.
But my favorite part of this emerging research? The creativity and tenacity of the scientists who conducted the study. The FDA insisted that proof be supplied that the amyloid plaques being detected in the brain scans are the same as the ones that are identified in the brains of dead Alheimer's patients. How can a researcher collect this information in a reasonable amount of time, given that patients with Alzheimer's often survive for decades after the initial diagnosis is made? Well, the researchers came up with a solution to this - conduct research on participants in a hospice, close to death and nearing their final stop in the march of life. While some criticized this initially as being unethical or demeaning to potential participants, the research was allowed to proceed (and from accounts, people were glad to participate). And the research worked. And now, because of this, a new technique to monitor a terrible disease is within our sights.
Science is not pure. It is shaped and molded by pragmatic and ethical constraints. The trick is not just knowing what to study, but how to go about doing so in a way that is both scientifically valid, ethically justifiable, and practically possible. Kudos to this research team for their ingenuity.
Amanda Sines-XC Post
ReplyDeleteWow, this is really a great breakthrough. I actually volunteer with hospice patients and have seen many with Alzeimers or who had spouses that died with the disease. I truly believe that the majority of patients and families who have agreed to this study have done so due to the great benefit of feeling like they are contributing to research to help future alzeimer patients. Patients and families who deal with the disease feel helpless and wish-more than anything-that there is something that they can do besides watch their loved ones worsen. Well this research sounds like a silver lining for those that have lost hope. Wonderful!
Kerrie Gipe XC, PSY 311
ReplyDeleteThis is a huge leap forward but at the same time, it opens new frustrations. Searching for a cause/appropriate diagnostic technique would set up a paradigm in which any discovery is a step forward. The frustrations of having identified a cause but being helpless to do anything about it would potentially be a career long devastation.
We have all known bright, loving elders that have transformed before our eyes. I commend anyone willing (and able) to dedicated themselves to finding causes/diagnostic techniques/inhibtors/cures to this awful disease. Even more thanks are due to the participants of these studies, as Amanda points out.
I find myself tracking research in this area more and more in the hopes that advancements in the field are made for everyone suffering or hoping to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's. This in part stems from a selfish place as both my parents are approaching 70 and one grandparent suffered from the disease.
I am sure that all of the children of Boomers are entering that same space. Hopefully, this will mean that these amazing researchers will see increases in funding and scope.
Zach Monarrez XC post Psy. 310 human development
ReplyDeleteThis sounds to be a pretty well thought out technique if it does work just as it says. It is important to understand this disease before we can treat it. Alzheimers took away my great grandma when I was young so I know all to well of the symptoms. This disease sweeps in fast and almost deletes our memory bank. She could not remember who I was or anybody in the family in that case, the disease swept over her body and left her very weak and nimble.
This lighting up of the brain is significant and could promote great leaps in the understanding of this nasty disease, which leaves our loved ones helpless.
Amanda Frank said....
ReplyDeleteThe breakthrough sounds magnificent. However, I would not be too wild about radioactive dye being injected into my brain. Does that have no effect on the patient? Are there long-term neurological defects? I guess the radioactive dye and having semi-homeless people agree to such a thing to prove the scientist's theory, it seems pretty inhumane. However, they obviously went through with it and it proved to be successful. But, what if it wasn't successful? Would those scientists be ragged on for completing such an ethically questionable experiment? I guess I have a lot of questions on the matter, but since it was done and the hypothesis was confirmed, I guess I cannot object for this experiment. Plus, if helping more people in the end is the result, then I guess the ethicality of such findings can be put aside.
Research is a must and we cant do without it. When I first read it, it sounded little upsetting in a way especially having a family member, my grandmother, who is suffering from such disease. I cant even imagine having her participate in such study. But on the other hand, how else can this be tested? How can we open up new doors to experiment? I also have a friend who is 45 years old and has been diagnosed with Alzheimer. She has family to take care of but at this point she cant even go out for a walk without getting lost. someone who is in a similar situation would greatly benefit from the finding from such study. right now she is on medication and does not seem to treat anything. Maybe its work is to just stabilize. Hopefully this dye does not result in serious adverse events and create opportunities for conducting studies such as this ethically.
ReplyDeleteThis information is very promising. My uncle was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and was very difficult period for our family. Any treatment that show promise or any way to detect the presence of Alzheimer’s in the early stages will benefit families struggle with the difficult process of a close relative dealing with Alzheimer’s.
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