A report in the December issue of Archives of Neurology claims that discovering AD earlier might become possible thanks to an imaging test, according to Newswise.com.
"The concept of preclinical Alzheimer's disease holds that the Alzheimer's pathologic process operates for many years before producing a clinically detectable impairment," wrote the authors of the report.
"A key corollary of this concept is that preclinical Alzheimer's disease is not benign and will eventually produce sufficient synaptic and neuronal damage to cause cognitive decline and other symptoms of Alzheimer's disease."
Preclinical AD can be detected by screening a patient's spinal fluid and using positron emission tomography, sometimes called PET scanning, along with a special compound to find indicators of the disease.
The Mayo Clinic says AD is the most common form of dementia. Although the disease is incurable, love and support from family and friends can improve the quality of life for sufferers of AD.
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