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Alzheimer’s disease destroys the brain, takes away memory and the ability to think. And it cannot be undone. Its origins often go unnoticed, but science continues to discover how to recognize that destructive changes have begun. According to recent findings, they affect the way we hold the pen and how we use it. They can be seen at a very early stage.
- Alzheimer’s is an irreversible brain disease that gradually destroys neurons, memory, ability to think, and the ability to perform the simplest tasks
- Scientists in Japan discovered that the disease affects the way we draw, including holding a pen (pencil, pen), at a very early stage of the disorder
- Our results pave the way for better screening tests for cognitive disorders, emphasizes one of the authors of the study, Prof. Tetsuaki Arai
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Alzheimer’s disease takes a long time to develop “in secret”
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive disease of the brain that gradually destroys neurons (the brain gradually shrinks), and so also memory, the ability to think and, finally, the ability to perform even the simplest of activities. It comes to a situation where a person begins to forget when he was born or when he has children. After all, he doesn’t remember what he did before or what happened before. There is total confusion and helplessness.
“When the whole brain is affected by the disease (degeneration), one has to reckon with neurological symptoms or their severity. Examples include epilepsy or stiffness. It can be said that in such a state the functions of the brain are kept to a minimum degree, higher activities are out of the question. They disappeared »- explained in an interview with Medonet neurologist Dr. Olga Milczarek from SCM Clinic in Krakow.
Scientists believe that degenerative changes in the brain can begin 10 years or more before the appearance of a clear disorder. Alzheimer’s disease is also known to be progressive, meaning that symptoms develop gradually over many years, leading to more and more problems. There is also no doubt that detecting the symptoms of the disease as soon as possible is the key to slowing it down. However, the question is, how can this be done if Alzheimer’s goes unnoticed for a long time? The more pressing question is that even 75 percent. all cases of dementia in the world go undetected.
The rest of the article is available under the video.
Alzheimer’s disease. New red flag
It turns out that the risk of Alzheimer’s disease can be revealed by the way we hold a pen (pen, pencil, etc.). And how to use it. Such a relationship is suggested by a study by scientists from Tsukuba University (Japan) and IBM Research, which was recently published in «JMIR Formative Research». It is not about the so-called clock test.
‘While it is clear that the drawing method can be used to detect cognitive impairment, most screening tests remain relatively inaccurate,’ notes the study’s senior author Prof. Tetsuaki Arai, noting that they are based on only one task performed by the subject.
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Scientists tried to solve the problem of inaccurate screening tests using automatic drawing analysis. Researchers used five different drawing tests, capturing various aspects of cognition (and at the same time commonly used in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment).
How do people with cognitive impairment draw? “We were surprised”
During the drawing tests performed by volunteers, 22 different elements were subjected to automatic analysis. with the way of holding the pen, its pressure, drawing speed, pauses. Then, using a computer program, it was checked to what extent the drawing method could be used to identify people without cognitive problems, with mild disorders and with Alzheimer’s disease.
“We were surprised how well the combination of drawing traits extracted from many tasks worked, bringing together different, complementary aspects of cognitive impairment,” admitted Prof. Arai. As he points out, the accuracy of all five tests was over 75%, almost 10%. more than analyzing each test separately. What exactly turned out?
People with a lower cognitive index showed greater variability in drawing speed and the way they hold the pen, and stopped drawing more frequently. The differences were greater between people with mild and Alzheimer’s disease than between healthy and mild people. This suggests that the test can be used in people with early symptoms that signal cognitive problems.
“Although it was a relatively small study (92 participants – ed.), The results are encouraging” – notes Prof. Arai, stressing that “they pave the way for better cognitive screening tests”.
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