Newswise — Bethesda, MD – In a new animal study examining Alzheimer’s disease, researchers found that disease progression could be slowed by decreasing neuroinflammation in the brain before memory problems and cognitive impairment were apparent. The new findings point to the importance of developing therapies that target very early stages of the disease.
In 2011, the National Institute on Aging updated the diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer’s disease to reflect its progressive nature. The criteria added a preclinical stage during which brain changes are taking place, but the person is still asymptomatic and, therefore, unaware of his condition. Biomarker profiles could eventually be used to identify people in the disease’s early stages who might benefit from early treatments.
“Starting an intervention at the earliest stage of the disease, when cellular and…