Diagnosis: Alzheimer’s Disease; Risk Factors & Treatment Options

Is it possible to pin-point Alzheimer’s disease?  The answer, I’m afraid, is no.  In fact, the only way a person can truly be diagnosed with the disease is during an autopsy.  So how can we better target the potential that a person actually has Alzheimer’s?  The picture below shows what a PET scan can show in terms of the brain’s activity.  Even though this is still not the perfect way to determine if a person has Alzheimer’s, it is a definite manner by which a neurologist can determine if a medication can be used to help maintain helathy brain activity.

So what are some of the advancements being made today in the study, treatment, and preention of Alzheimer’s and dementia?  The following article was published in the Summer issue of Inspire Magazine.  Written by Dr. Peter Lichtenberg of Wayne State Univeristy, it offers a glimpse into what advances are being made on this topic.

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Understanding Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease and New Approaches to Care

by Peter A. Lichtenberg, Ph.D., ABPP, Director, Institute of GerontologyProfessor of Psychology at Wayne State University        

Alzheimer’s disease has become a household word, affecting over five million Americans and feared by millions more.  The MetLife Foundation reported in a 2006 study that after cancer, Alzheimer’s is the second most feared disease among both middle-aged and older Americans.  Despite its prevalence and the increasing attention to it by the public and healthcare professionals, Alzheimer’s disease remains a difficult disease for families and general health practitioners to recognize and treat.          

In 2006, the Michigan Dementia Coalition conducted a statewide behavioral surveillance survey about memory loss.  One of the survey’s most striking results was the lack of public awareness about where to get help for Alzheimer’s disease.  The majority of those surveyed (60%) said they would seek help from their family doctor.  The next most popular response was searching the Internet for information (10%).  Sadly, only 1% had heard of the Alzheimer’s Association or would contact them for information, indicating a large gap between the public’s fear of Alzheimer’s disease and their actual knowledge about it and its treatment.       

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Press Conference and Reception for Artist with Alzheimer’s Disease: Inspire Magazine

Local Artist with Alzheimer’s Has Work Featured on Cover of Magazine:

Press Conference and Reception Draws Attention to

Medical Advances in Alzheimer’s Treatment

and Available Resources for Those Living with Alzheimer’s

Ray Maloney is a gifted teacher, a self-taught artist, and a loving husband and father.  That all changed in 1998 when Ray was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

            As his memory began to fade, so did his ability to teach and create.  However, his legacy of hope continues on today.  After losing the capacity to create art with paints and acrylics, he moved to complex collages of carefully selected magazine clippings to create beautiful pieces of art.  One of his first collages, Safe Haven, was then described by him as his mind breaking up into pieces and his only safe place was his home as depicted by the circle in the lower left side of his collage.

            Ray’s first magazine collage piece, has been chosen to grace the cover of Inspire Magazine’s summer issue dealing with Alzheimer’s disease.  The periodical, published by the Inspire Senior Network, is written entirely by regional medical experts dealing with one specific senior-related topic each quarter.

            The magazine will be released at a press conference on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 at Arden Courts of Bingham Farms, (24005 W 13 Mile Rd, Bingham Farms, MI, (248) 644-8100).  The press conference will begin promptly at 3:20 p.m., and will be followed by a reception for Ray and Jan Maloney. Valet parking will be available.

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