Alert on Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer

Alert on Early Diagnosis of AlzheimerWashington, May 24. -More than half of patients with Alzheimer''s disease, whose first symptoms excluded forgetfulness, were wrongly diagnosed at the beginning of the disease, says a recent study.

Forgetfulness is one of the hallmarks of this neurodegenerative disease; however, the authors' research shows that in more than 40 dead persons, the earliest indications reported were behavior disorders.

They were also associated with vision or speech problems and diminished ability to perform tasks, especially in people over 60 years, hence the confusion in diagnosis, say the authors from Alzheimer's Unit and other cognitive disorders at Barcelona's hospital in Spain.

As part of the research methodology experts took into account the age of the onset of symptoms and family history.

One third of those included in the study experienced other symptoms, highlights an article published in Neurology.

Those included in the research, with atypical symptoms and devoid of forgetfulness, were diagnosed incorrectly in their first visit to the doctor, compared with those that did present problems, said in the article Albert Llado, who is one of those responsible for the research.

Considered one of the most devastating neurological diseases for humans, Alzheimer's will triple its prevalence in the world by 2050. (Prensa Latina)