Cognitive Decline Treatment
- icshealthsciencejournal
- Aug 1, 2020
- 2 min read
Cognitive Decline Treatment
Written By: Tawan Petpaiboon
August 1, 2020
Recently, scientists from Affirmative Health have discovered that the usage of personalized, precision medicine can decrease the risk of cognitive decline or stabilize the condition. Alzheimer’s has affected about 30 million people around the world. There are some treatments out there, but it has not been proven to be efficient. Fortunately, research has been done on this topic, and improvement of the condition is possible.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may be a precursor for dementia if it worsens. Dementia is a side-effect from diseases relating to the brain, like Alzheimer’s. The symptoms of these conditions include memory loss. MCI can result from many factors, and common are the following: plaques of beta-amyloid protein, tangles of tau proteins, and decreased blood flow to the brain. The majority of people who have MCI are old people and people with a gene called APOE-e4.
The alternative choice of treatment for MCI is rather for specific patients than treatment for all. “This study supports the need for an approach that focuses on a one-size fits one, not a one-size fits all, approach that comprehensively assesses all involved risk factors affecting memory loss,” Denise M Kalose, the CEO of Affirmative Health stated. The personal treatment includes using advanced technology and consultation. This method of personalized, precision medicine is often used to treat cancer. Governments in several countries are developing initiatives for precision medicine.
The idea of precision medicine focuses on individuality. Each individual is set to change their lifestyles and behaviors to prevent the least effects of the disease. Databases about the patient’s information are also recorded. However, because symptoms of Alzheimer’s are similar, it’s hard to diagnose the specific type of Alzheimer’s the patient is experiencing. Luckily, precision medicine can help to find the causes, the prevention, and the risk factors of Alzheimer’s.
It has also been found that genes contribute to the risk factor for cognitive decline. Scientists have attempted to find drugs that could treat the condition. However, some drugs only work on animal models. Some drugs are only effective in non-carriers of the gene. Due to this fact, precision medicine is an alternative pathway for many infected individuals. Patients have to keep in mind, however, that this treatment may not be a complete cure for Alzheimer’s. It is rather a way to reduce the condition of cognitive decline or make the condition stop increasing.
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