My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer in her later years, but it turned out to be a correctable brain chemical imbalance. Unfortunately we found this out too late, and the cumulative effects were not reversible. Though she did live to 88, the last 4 years were not too good for her family.
Jerry Johnson
>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 08/30/04 03:40PM >>>
My grandmother suffered through several difficult years of Alzheimer's. This was back in the mid-90's. At the time, doctors said that Alzheimer's can only be positively identified after death. I believe this is mostly still true today. However, so much research has been done as to the effects of the disease, that an almost certain diagnosis of Alzheimer's can be made by simply studying the behavior of a person.
There is a fair amount of evidence that supports the idea that the disease is genetic. I know that I am closely following the rapid advances being made in the detection and treatment of the disease. I know that researchers have been able to cure lab animals of the presence of "plaques" in their brains. These are the physical indicators used to diagnose the disease in humans after death. However, they don't know whether the plaques cause the disease, or are merely a symptom.
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