Brain Scans Show Early Symptoms of Alzheimer Present in Young Adults

If you could know decades in advance that you had a genetic marker and visible brain changes for early on-set Alzheimer's, what would you do? Would that knowledge affect the decisions you make or how you live your life? Would you get married and have children, or would you choose not to pass along that genetic mutation? Would you live your life to the fullest, or would you live in abject fear of the day symptoms would appear?

Columbian researchers recently studied brain scans of 18-26 year olds, both those that carried a genetic marker for early-onset Alzheimer's & those that didn't. Although none of the participants showed any sighs of cognitive impairment at the time of the study, the MRI scans of those pre-disposed to Alzheimer's, showed obvious functional & structural changes, as well as higher levels of amyloid beta protein in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Clearly, well before symptoms show up, typically in their 40's-50's for this variation of Alzheimer's, the brain has already begun to change. This bodes well for research into future prevention treatments, or even modification using stem cells, a growing area with unlimited potential. Although this form of Alheimer's represents only 5% of total cases, any findings here can be applicable for late-onset Alzheimer's, Parkinsons, stroke and other neurlogical diseases.

Its early days, but when researchers develop the ability to treat or modify these changes before the disease can cause symptoms, then this has huge implications for the public at large, and countries that are facing significant costs in caring for an aging population.

In the future, when faced with a diagnosis of this disease, it may not be the end of your vibrant and richly enjoyed cognitive days.