Signs of brain impairment appeared as early as 9 years before people received a diagnosis for Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related diseases, an analysis of U.K. Biobank data showed.
For several neurodegenerative syndromes, cognitive and functional changes were spotted in baseline assessments 5 to 9 years before diagnosis, reported Timothy Rittman, BMBS, BMedSci, PhD, of the University of Cambridge in England, and co-authors in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
The findings raise the possibility that at-risk people may be screened to identify who could benefit from interventions or be candidates for clinical trials, the researchers suggested.
“This research gives us a window of opportunity to intervene very early in the disease process of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases,” Rittman told MedPage Today.
“Before now we haven’t been sure how early changes are detectable,” he said. “Our study has found that it is possible to detect subtle changes 5 to 10 years before a diagnosis, meaning that it could be possible to screen people very early.”
“Catching people early means they can be recruited to trials of prevention strategies and new drugs to slow down the disease, at a time when those interventions are most likely to be effective,” Rittman added.
