(PatriotPostNews.com) – Researchers from the Queen Mary University of London have engineered a new test that has the potential to detect dementia up to 9 years before the onset. Thus far, results have an accuracy of over 80%.
The test looks at the “default mode network” (DMN) in the brain. This neural network is engaged when doing activities such as daydreaming or memory recall. These cognitive functions are among the first to be impacted by dementia. By analyzing key regions of the DMN, scientists may be able to predict dementia nearly a decade in advance. Through this method, scientists may even be able to predict the date when dementia will manifest. The study examined the brain scans of over 1,000 individuals.
Previous predictive tests relied on patient reporting. Patients would be asked a series of questions at the onset of symptoms and doctors would analyze the results in order to make a diagnosis. These tests often served as a confirmation of the diagnosis rather than a true prediction. Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia, but patients can carry the disease for years before displaying symptoms. Researchers hope that this new test will allow doctors to slow or even halt the onset of dementia.
A 2023 study suggests that missing 1% or more of “slow wave sleep” annually increases the risk of developing dementia by over 30%. Slow wave sleep is a deep state of sleep when brain and heart activity slow down significantly. This sleep state is responsible for refreshing the brain’s capacity to process new or novel information. Missing this stage of sleep plays a role in the cognitive impairment experienced after sleep deprivation. The study suggests that the effects of even mild sleep deprivation could be a major factor in the development of dementia.
Researchers are revisiting a 2021 study that found that Sildenafil, better known as Viagra, may prevent dementia by increasing blood circulation in the brain.
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