Alzheimer's Research Suggests New Tests Could Improve Memory Up to 33 Percent

A study recently released by the University of Montreal has suggested that it could be possible to improve memory and delay the onset of symptoms in patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, as reported by the National Post. By training the healthy parts of the brain to step in and work harder for those parts which have been compromised, Alzheimer's research tests were concluded to have improved memory function by 33 percent in 15 individuals who were part of the study. The study was conducted on a total of 30 subjects, half of whom were in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

This new research comes at a time when Alzheimer's is rampaging through the elderly with no signs of slowing down. Although there are currently around 5 million estimated cases of Alzheimer's, that number is expected to grow to ten times that many cases by the year 2050 unless a cure is discovered. As the disease continues to take its toll on some 461 million family caregivers, the fight to find a cure has received widespread attention. Alzheimer's research fundraising ideas have included bake sales, celebrity events, talent shows and on April 26, 2011, three retired men will hop on their bicycles for a 97-day cross country biking trip to raise money for continued Alzheimer's research. With so many people fighting to find a cure for this mind-debilitating disease, hopes are high that someday the first survivor of Alzheimer's disease will be named.

It has long been believed that the plasticity of the brain naturally declines with age; however, this new study has finally proved that belief untrue. Even in patients who are in the early stages of Alzheimer's, brain plasticity does not show indications of significant change. Brain plasticity (Neuroplasticity) refers to the mind's ability to absorb and reorganize new experiences and information. Without it, learning would be hindered significantly, if not entirely. By uncovering this information, researchers were able to develop experimental tests that encouraged healthy parts of the brain to become more productive in response to the areas that are compromised.

The study has only been conducted on patients with mild cognitive impairment, leaving no indication yet as to whether the tests could improve memory functions of patients in more advanced stages. Though the number seems small, 33 percent improvement is a major step for Alzheimer's research. Even with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), brain functions can be significantly hindered by Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. Research shows that as patients begin to advance into the later stages of Alzheimer's, it becomes more than the memories that are impacted by dementia. Patients are known to have compromised immune systems, increased irritability and are unpredictable at most times. Even improvements of 33 percent are promising to both patients and families, standing as further incentives to continue the fight to find a cure.

Now that it is known that brain plasticity does not diminish or decrease with age or the onset of Alzheimer's disease, a portal has now opened up for researchers to continue examining potential treatment options for patients diagnosed with this type of dementia. The human brain is constantly changing as it absorbs information through learning and perceptions of the world. Creative activities that encourage learning and exploration, and Alzheimer's drugs that delay the onset of symptoms, remain the best ways to fight advancement of the disease.

Sources:
Brain: A Journal of Neurology, "Training-related brain plasticity in subjects at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, Oxford Journals