Alzheimer's group urges more focus on early detection

Improved treatments make it possible to slow the disease's progression.

By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. Aug. 15, 2005.

The emergence of a handful of drugs that can slow but not undo the mental deterioration that characterizes Alzheimer's has increased the need to diagnose it at an early stage. The result: More people are being diagnosed at a point in which these drugs can be most effective.

At the same time, experts are struggling to meet the needs of those who are diagnosed when they still have significant functioning, said several presenters at the Alzheimer's Assn. annual dementia care conference held in Chicago last month. For example, for the first time, the meeting featured a track on early-stage issues.

"There's no doubt that there's more recognition by physicians, but the programs and services are not there," said association Senior Vice President Kathleen O'Brien.

Experts said Alzheimer's interventions need to be individualized to suit the patient's disease stage and empower him or her to take a more active role in coping with the condition and preventing its progression.

Treatment strategies also should take into account the fact that those in the early stages could be far more active in their own care. Many widely used interventions are more geared to patients at later stages and speak more to the caregiver than the patient.

"We really need to be thinking how we can tailor our education and support to the early-stage patients who may still have a lot of skills. They need to be enticed to be involved in coping with this disease," said J. Scott Roberts, PhD, who spoke on the research and practice issues associated with early-stage patients. He is a clinical psychologist at the Boston University School of Medicine's Alzheimer's Disease Center.