British scientists based at Maudsley Hospital have developed a highly-advanced computer programme that can pinpoint the very early stages of Alzheimer’s in a matter of hours rather than months. Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Simon Lovestone, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, said the new test analysed patients’ brain scans, meaning he could diagnose the disease with “a reasonable degree of confidence” in its early stages.
John Wright, who has Alzheimer’s, described the moment of “sheer panic” when he realized he something was wrong 12 years ago. He has “absolutely zero” memory of what happened yesterday, he told John Humphrys, Radio 4’s Today programme host, but had not seen a specialist doctor since he was prescribed the drug Aricept 10 years ago.
» Listen again to the interview on Radio 4’s Today programme
Can this artical realy be true? All of the poeple we care for who have been prescribed aricept are visited regularly by their CPN,s and doctors. Perhaps he was simply not recalling this part of the service provided?
I also recall that their has been an optical test that is able to identify changes to the rods at the back of the eye up to 10 years prior to symptoms showing, what happened to that test?
Hi Marcus,
Thank you for your comment. We have reported what was broadcast on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
You may want to contact Simon Lovestone, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, to find out more about the research.
We will post any further information regarding the research on the website.
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Many thanks
Rowan Purdy
on behalf of the
South West Dementia Partnership