Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and the first signs can be subtle. So, being alert to certain changes, and observing how they evolve over time, can help evaluate the situation sooner.
When is a medical evaluation recommended?
The following list describes some of the situations that may indicate it’s time to see a specialist:
- Frequently repeating recent questions or conversations.
- Increasing difficulty finding words.
- Losing the ability to carry out routine tasks.
- Needing help to do things that could be done independently before.
- Becoming disoriented in familiar places.
- Showing increasing difficulty in everyday situations.
The presence of any of these symptoms on its own is not enough to determine what is happening. It is especially important to observe if these symptoms continue and progress, and compare it to how the individual functioned previously.
"We should not be alarmed by isolated incidents of forgetfulness. What should make us seek medical advice is when we see that someone is beginning to have difficulty doing things that they used to do normally, that these changes are repeated or that they need more and more help," explains Dr. Gabriel Salazar, consultant neurologist at Instituto Clavel.
New tools for the study of Alzheimer's
Today, there are a variety of tools used to study cognitive impairment, and they can be combined to offer a more precise view of each patient.
These tools include neuropsychological tests, monitoring progression of symptoms, biomarkers, and neuroimaging technology.
Notable tools developed in this field include blood biomarkers, like the p-tau217 protein, which can provide information on biological processes related to Alzheimer's disease and help guide the assessment of patients with symptoms.
There are also digital tools for neurocognitive evaluation, such as NeuroSuite, which allow the specialist to structure the tests and compare results between tests.
In addition, artificial intelligence can be used to integrate the data from various tests, and identify patterns that might be difficult to see in a single test.
The goal is not to let every memory lapse alarm us, but to have better tools for identifying when it is no longer a sporadic event and begins to represent a loss of skills that should be assessed.
At Instituto Clavel, we offer individualized neurological assessment
Recognizing cognitive changes and seeking advice when they become persistent can help you understand what is happening sooner.
At Instituto Clavel, we have a team of specialists in neurology who evaluate each patient in an individualized way, taking into account their medical history, their symptoms, and the changes over time, to determine what tests may be necessary.
If you notice cognitive changes in yourself, or someone close to you, that keep happening and seem to be getting worse as time goes by, please don’t hesitate to make an appointment with our neurology team!
Dr. Gabriel Salazar
Neurologist
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