Alzheimer's
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Symptoms include memory loss and a decrease in cognitive abilities.
Age-related conditions on the rise
As the number of individuals worldwide over the age of 65 greatly increases (predicted to rise from 381 million to 823 million by 2025), age-related conditions can be expected to increase as well.
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Vascular Dementia (VaD), and other stroke-related disorders, are among these age-related conditions expected to increase. Without effective treatment, the number of persons with dementing illnesses will quadruple in the next 50 years.
A need for effective treatment
Numerous medications developed within the last two decades (targeting amyloid accumulations) fail to improve the clinical symptoms of AD.
For example, in August 2010, Eli Lilly halted clinical trials of a gamma secretase inhibitor due to lack of effect on cognitive function. While this pharmaceutical was apparently effective in reducing amyloid deposits in the form of plaques, subjects showed marked worsening of cognitive function.
Currently, there are no effective pharmaceutical treatments for Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia diseases so mitigative and palliative care are the best options for patients.
Hope through early diagnosis
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a potential precursor to dementia. Early diagnosis is an extremely important first step in delivering mitigative care.
We utilize the following diagnostic options at Neuro-Luminance Brain Health Centers to aid in early detection:
- Neuroimaging (SPECT)
- Neurological exam
- Psychometric testing
- Computerized neurocognitive testing
- Retinal scan
- Lab testing to evaluate any potential contributing illnesses
Neuroimaging, particularly SPECT neuroimaging with quantitative analysis, plays a critical role in the early diagnosis of these disorders with an accuracy range in the 80th percentile (Henderson, 2013). Moreover, it shows us what type of dementia a patient may have (whether Alzheimer’s or another type).
Progression mitigation
Because mitigative care is so crucial for dementia diseases such as Alzheimer’s, we employ the following treatment options:
- Multi-Watt infrared laser therapy for improved memory and cognitive function
- Multi-Watt infrared laser therapy for potential slowing of disease progression
- Specialized exercise program
- Specialize yoga program
- Serial SPECT imaging to measure disease progressions
At Neuro-Luminance, we offer cutting edge diagnostic tools and innovative therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and utilize SPECT scans, along with other new diagnostic tools.
