Alzheimer’s is a progressive and, so far, incurable disease that attacks the switch-like synapses between brain cells, so that the brain can no longer send or receive messages properly. In all, it afflicts about 4 million Americans. But because so many victims (more than two thirds) are older than 65, its effects are often confused with the ordinary, “benign” memory glitches of aging. Forgetting keys is normal; forgetting how to use them may signal illness. Similarly, not being able to remember names is a common failing as we grow older. But standing with your hand on the doorknob, not remembering whether you meant to go in or out, may be cause for concern. “It’s major changes in memory that we worry about,” says Creighton Phelps, a vice president of the Alzheimer’s Association. “If it’s getting in the way of ordinary daily living and the ability to function, then it probably needs evaluation.”
New test: Even then, there is a danger of jumping to the wrong diagnosis. Memory failures may stem from other problems, such as depression, adverse drug reactions or vitamin deficiencies. Until now, the only sure way to confirm Alzheimer’s has been in postmortem examinations of brain tissue, which can spot the tiny nerve-cell tangles the disease characteristically leaves behind. But last week an article in The Journal of the American Medical Association reported progress on a new test that can detect the presence of a telltale protein, Alzheimer’s disease associated protein (ADAP), in the brain’s neurons. The test still uses a sample of brain tissue, but researchers hope that within a year or two they will be able to detect the protein in spinal fluid-making it “the first real diagnostic leap,” according to Duke University’s Garth Bissette, a coauthor of the article.
A biological marker for Alzheimer’s might mean doctors could diagnose the disease before various distortions of brain cells occur and the main symptoms begin. At present, virtually the only treatment is to alleviate the anxiety and depression that often result. Around 100 drugs are under development, most of them aimed at improving victims’ memory and cognitive abilities. But no one yet has a clue as to how to prevent the disease. The only thing reasonably certain is that each year, about 100,000 Americans will die of it.
