Published on: June 9, 2016
by Heidi Raschke for Next Avenue:
Most people think of memory loss when they think of Alzheimer’s, but a new study suggests that the earliest sign of the disease is trouble with navigation.
Long before a clinical diagnosis is possible, new research finds, Alzheimer’s patients have trouble finding their way around new surroundings.
Study participants were asked to learn and navigate a maze on a computer, using wallpaper patterns and various landmarks as their guides. Those with preclinical Alzheimer’s found it harder to learn the locations of objects in the maze.
“The spatial navigation task used in this study to assess cognitive map skills was more sensitive at detecting preclinical Alzheimer’s disease than the standard psychometric task of episodic memory,” says Denise Head, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences in arts & sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and one of the study’s authors. “These findings suggest that navigational tasks designed to assess a cognitive mapping strategy could represent a powerful tool for detecting the very earliest Alzheimer’s disease-related changes in cognition.”
In simpler terms, we’re looking at a new —and better — tool for detecting Alzheimer’s in its earliest stages.
Source: http://bit.ly/21a8lii
Thanks to the ongoing support of our partner Brain Canada, and The Citrine Foundation of Canada, Women’s Brain Health Initiative’s newest edition of MIND OVER MATTER has just been published. Loaded with interesting science-based articles, MIND OVER...
On December 2nd, in celebration of Women’s Brain Health Day, join thousands of others and take part in the Stand Ahead® Memory Challenge to stand up against research bias and stand ahead for women’s brain...
YOU’RE INVITED! On December 2nd, the second annual Women’s Brain Health Day, take the memory challenge and help us combat brain-aging diseases that disproportionately affect women. Join CTV’s Pattie Lovett-Reid and Anne-Marie Mediwake, along...
The material presented through the Think Tank feature on this website is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner. WBHI strongly advises all questioners and viewers using this feature with health problems to consult a qualified physician, especially before starting any treatment. The materials provided on this website cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. The materials are not exhaustive and cannot always respect all the most recent research in all areas of medicine.
