Recent research demonstrates that Alzheimer’s diagnoses can be made many years after a person’s brain begins to develop dementia, prompting scientists to develop diagnostic tests that detect Alzheimer’s before it becomes dementia.
"There may be a window of opportunity to affect the disease before people experience symptoms," Dr. Eric Bastings, deputy director of FDA's Division of Neurology Products, said.
Over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s diagnoses. It is the sixth main cause of death within the U.S., typically among people who are 60 years old and above. It is a progressive, irreversible brain disease, slowly destroying a person’s ability to think and remember until they cannot even complete simple daily tasks.
Developing pre-diagnostic tests could benefit countless people around the world, making this a significant step forward.
"Earlier and more precise identification of patients with early changes in the brain who will go on to develop Alzheimer's is important for the success of these clinical studies," Dr. Billy Dunn, director of the Division of Neurology Products, said. "We hope that earlier interventions, before further extensive damage to the brain sets in, will be more successful. We're very excited about the potential for this research to result in safe and effective treatments for early Alzheimer's disease."
