Alzheimer Disease and AI for Early Tracking

Overview

Here, I am going to talk about Alzheimer disease and its facts and figures. Moreover, I will present some information on how this disease can be prevented, what are the early symptoms and if is there any cure for it. Lastly, I will touch briefly upon new researches and progresses along with role of Artificial Intelligence in Alzheimer disease.

1. What is Alzheimer?

Alzheimer disease is a brain disorder that it is characterized by changes in the brain that lead to deposits of certain proteins. Alzheimer disease causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die. Alzheimer is the most common cause of dementia which is a term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. As it is said, brain cells die in Alzheimer disease and if we consider the brain like a factory, where every cell has a role and all of them are connected and interact with each other, loss of cells in one part of brain can affect other parts and brain will be damaged irreversibly. Two abnormal structures called plaques (deposits of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid) and tangles (Twisted form of protein called tau) are prime suspects in damaging and killing nerve cells. It is known to be normal to develop plaques and tangles as one age but with Alzheimer they are extremely and abnormally developed. About 6.5 million people in the United States age 65 and older live with Alzheimer disease. Among them, more than 70% are 75 years old and older. Of the about 55 million people worldwide with dementia, 60% to 70% are estimated to have Alzheimer disease according to Alzheimer Association.

2. What are the symptoms?

The primary symptom of Alzheimer is memory loss. Early signs of this disease are difficulty in remembering newly learned things and remembering recently occurred events and conversation. One with Alzheimer disease may get lost in places they used to know well and repeat statements and questions over and over. This disease grows over time and in severe cases one may also forget the friends and family members. The patience can also have problems in thinking and reasoning. For example, they can have a hard time in managing finances or dealing and recognizing numbers. These changes in brain can also affect moods and behaviors, accordingly one may also experience depression, anger, loss of interest in activities, etc. On the other hand, people with Alzheimer disease are able to hold some skills such as reading, listening and sharing memories.

3. Are there any cure for Alzheimer disease and how to prevent it?

It was formerly believed that Alzheimer is a part of aging, but scientists now say that Alzheimer disease is not a normal part of aging, and they are working to understand its causes and develop effective treatments. More evidence is emerging that healthy behaviors can lower the risk for Alzheimer. These healthy behaviors are so simple and we learn about most of them learn daily. Increasing physical activity, eating a healthy diet, and quitting cigarette smoking and excessive drinking are among these healthy behaviors, so the following are the choices we can make for healthy life style:

• Managing high blood pressure: Blood pressure affects more than 30% of adults worldwide and nearly half of them are unaware of their condition.

• Maintain healthy weight: Healthy eating and regular physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight.

• Physical activity: Physical activity can improve thinking, reduce risk of depression and anxiety, and help you sleep better.

• Quit smoking: Quitting smoking may help maintain brain health and can reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer.

• Avoid excessive drinking: This is an indispensible factor in developing dementia, so if you drink do in moderation.

• Get enough sleep: 62% of people around the world have problems with sleeping.

Alzheimer disease has almost no cure but some treatments demonstrate that removing beta-amyloid, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer disease, from the brain reduces cognitive and functional decline in people living with early Alzheimer. Other treatments can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

4. What are the researches and what AI can do in recognition for early curing of Alzheimer?

Alzheimer is at the forefront of biomedical research. Researchers are working to uncover as many aspects of Alzheimer disease and other dementias as possible. Some of the most remarkable progress has shed light on how Alzheimer affects the brain. Better understanding will lead to new treatments and many potential approaches are currently under investigation worldwide. Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers a wide variety of methods to analyze large and complex data in order to improve knowledge in the Alzheimer field. In particular, the use of Computer-Aided Diagnosis tools for Alzheimer diagnosis and the use of AI to potentially support clinical practices for the prediction of individual risk of Alzheimer conversion as well as patient stratification in order to finally develop effective and personalized therapies can be achieved. AI can detect signs of mild cognitive decline and Alzheimer disease, even when no symptoms are apparent, by analyzing person’s speech. The technology could be used as a simple screening method to identify early signs of cognitive impairment according to UT Southwestern. This technology captures subtle changes in patient voice and help physicians diagnose cognitive impairment before symptoms begin to show. This can be really helpful for further development in diagnosing and better understanding of Alzheimer.

Conclusion

A number of conditions can result in memory loss or other dementia symptoms. Some of those conditions can be treated. If you are concerned about your memory or other thinking skills, talk to your health care professional. If you are concerned about thinking skills you observe in a family member or friend, talk about your concerns and ask about going together to talk to a health care professional. This was a brief overview and I hope I have made relatively clear claims on different aspects of this disease.