Early signs of Alzheimer's discovered

A new study has found some early signs of Alzheimer's disease can be detected decades before any symptoms of the condition begin to appear.

Dr Eric Reiman, one of the scientists involved, stated the findings of the research suggest that brain changes begin many years before the clinical onset of Alzheimer's disease.

"They raise new questions about the earliest brain changes involved in the predisposition to Alzheimer's and the extent to which they could be targeted by future prevention therapies," he said.

Speaking to BBC News, Professor Nick Fox, from the Institute of Neurology at University College London, stated some patients have lost a fifth of some parts of their brain by the time they arrived at the clinic.

He added the results of the research opens up the window of early intervention before older adults starts to "take a clinical and cognitive hit".

A recent study, published in the journal Neurology online, found that the timing of taking hormone replacement therapy in women has an impact on the development of Alzheimer's disease.

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