Altoida: Pioneering Fully Digital Predictive Alzheimers Disease Diagnosis
At Altoida, we are building the worlds-first precision neurology platform and app-based medical devicebacked by 11 years of clinical validationto accelerate and improve drug development, neurological disease research, and patient care. By completing a 10-minute series of augmented reality and motor activities designed to simulate complex ADLs on a smartphone or tablet, Altoidas device extracts and provides robust measurements of neurocognitive function across 13 neurocognitive domains.
Our device measures and analyzes nearly 800 multimodal cognitive and functional digital biomarkers. Through the collection of highly granular data from integrated smartphone or tablet sensors, Altoidas device produces comprehensive neurocognitive domain scores.
This method, along with our innovative artificial intelligence, will pioneer fully digital predictive neurological disease diagnosis. After our Breakthrough Device designation by the FDA, Altoidas device will provide patients with a predictive score that will enable a highly accurate prediction of whether a patient aged 55 and older will or will not convert from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimers disease.
To learn more about the difference between Alzheimers and dementia or about Altoidas Precision Neurology platform, contact us today.
Warning Signs And Symptoms
The symptoms of dementia range in severity, and they also vary depending on the area of the brain that the condition affects. The most
- walking around for no apparent reason
- inappropriate behaviors, such as social and sexual disinhibition
Symptoms can take time to appear, and significant damage may be present before a person visits a doctor. This may make treatment more challenging.
What’s The Difference Between Alzheimer’s And Dementia
Dementia is a general term that refers to severe memory loss and problems with thinking, behavior, and social skills that interfere with daily life. According to the National Institutes of Health, this neurological condition affects one in seven adults over age 71.
Alzheimers disease is a type of dementia and makes up 60 percent to 80 percent of dementia cases, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most cases of Alzheimers occur when people reach their 70s and 80s.
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Although Alzheimers disease accounts for many dementia cases, other types of dementia are distinct from Alzheimers disease, such as vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia. Alzheimers disease differs from other diseases involving dementia when it comes to its symptoms, effect on the brain, and treatments.
Alzheimers Disease
The most prevalent type of dementia is Alzheimers disease, which is the fifth-leading cause of death for adults 65 and over. The illness is marked by difficulty remembering recent events. People with Alzheimers can usually recall the past, but have trouble remembering what transpired recently. An individual with Alzheimers disease may be able to tell you about their childhood in detail, but not about the previous days events. As the condition progresses, people can have challenges walking and talking, and may experience personality changes.
Lewy Body Dementia
Symptoms of LBD include:
Vascular Dementia
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Tests For Vascular Dementia
There’s no single test for vascular dementia.
The tests that are needed to make a diagnosis include:
- an assessment of symptoms for example, whether these are typical symptoms of vascular dementia
- a full medical history, including asking about a history of conditions related to vascular dementia, such as strokes or high blood pressure
- an assessment of mental abilities this will usually involve several tasks and questions
- a brain scan, such as an MRI scan or CT scan, to look for any changes that have happened in your brain
Find out more about the tests used to diagnose dementia.
A Diagnosis And An Important Question
When Walter was examined further in our clinic, we decided that his memory troubles were indeed the result of Alzheimers disease. He had major neurocognitive disorder and we were unable to identify any other medical or psychiatric disorder that could be responsible for his condition. An amyloid PET scan of Walters brain would likely have showed accumulation of beta amyloid, the disease-associated protein found in the brains of people with Alzheimers. Bill asked, What about me? Will I get Alzheimers disease?
What we know now from biomarker research allows us to answer Bills question in a way that would not have been possible for past generations. We can tell Bill that he definitely does not have dementia, and that if he has Alzheimers disease it is in the pre-symptomatic stage. Occurrence of the disease in his father puts Bill at a small increased risk, so well watch him in the future. For the present, well encourage him to adopt a brain-healthy lifestyle that includes management of chronic medical diseases, stress reduction, healthy eating habits, adequate sleep, plenty of physical activity, engagement with others, and cognitive stimulation. Of course, this brain healthy lifestyle is a good prescription for all of us!
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The Difference Between Parkinsons & Vascular Dementia
The biggest difference between vascular dementia and Parkinsons disease is that Parkinsons doesnt always lead to dementia. Parkinsons affects mobility, similar to vascular dementia, and both are brain disorders that may stem from vascular problems. Parkinsons disease may also affect memory like vascular dementia but not in every case.
Vascular dementia symptoms include memory loss, reduced ability to organize thoughts or actions, confusion and trouble concentrating, trouble paying attention.
Parkinsons disease symptoms include slowed movement, muscle rigidity, shuffled walking, quiet speech, issues with swallowing.
During the end-stage of all types of dementia, the symptoms tend to be the same across the board.
Reasoning For Differentiation Between Ad And Vd
The scientific reasoning for the distinction between AD and VD was based on evidence collected during the 1970s and 1980s, leading investigators to conclude that a vascular pathology was not the main underlying pathology for most demented individuals. First, many demented individuals had diffuse amyloid deposits or plaques and neurofibrillary tangles as the predominant postmortem pathology, with no or minimal vascular pathology or infarcts.1 Second, in some of these demented individuals with predominantly plaques and tangles, the counts of the cholinergic cells in the nucleus basalis of Meynert were diminished, as was the activity of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the cortex.4–8
The pragmatic reasoning for the distinction between AD and VD was the assumption in the late 1970s and early 1980s that specific treatments for AD exist, This assumption was based on the apparent finding that increasing cholinergic activity by pharmacological manipulations could improve symptoms in demented individuals.11–13 In order to increase the likelihood of demonstrating an effect for drugs enhancing cholinergic activities, it was believed to be essential to identify patients affected by a cholinergic deficit, ic, AD patients, and distinguish them from VD patients, who were not expected to benefit from cholinergic enhancement.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Vascular Dementia
Symptoms of vascular dementia can appear suddenly and may progress slowly over time. People with vascular dementia may experience:
- Difficulty performing tasks that used to be easy, such as paying bills
- Trouble following instructions or learning new information and routines
- Forgetting current or past events
- Misplacing items
- Getting lost on familiar routes
- Problems with language, such as finding the right word or using the wrong word
- Changes in sleep patterns
Proteins Associated With Alzheimers Disease
While the exact cause of Alzheimers is unknown, there are two proteins that create plaques and tangles in the brain that are the leading suspects in cell death and tissue loss in Alzheimers. Beta-amyloid is a protein that clusters and creates plaques in the brain. These plaques build up between nerve cells and it is thought they block cell-to-cell signaling. Studies have also suggested that they can trigger inflammation and destroy disabled cells.
Within dying cells, researchers have found tangles of another protein called tau. Normally, tau is responsible for regulating the transportation system in the brain. But, when tau becomes tangled, it essentially disintegrates this transport system and keeps nutrients from moving to cells, eventually killing those cells.
Most people develop these plaques and tangles at some point but people with Alzheimers develop much more than the average person. In the progression of Alzheimers, the plaques and tangles follow a pattern, affecting the learning and memory areas of the brain first and then spreading.
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Causes Of Vascular Dementia
Vascular dementia is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, which damages and eventually kills brain cells.
This can happen as a result of:
- narrowing and blockage of the small blood vessels inside the brain
- a single stroke, where the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly cut off
- lots of “mini strokes” that cause tiny but widespread damage to the brain
In many cases, these problems are linked to underlying conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and lifestyle factors, such as smoking and being overweight.
Tackling these might reduce your risk of vascular dementia in later life, although it’s not yet clear exactly how much your risk of dementia can be reduced.
What Is The Difference Between Dementia And Alzheimers Diseaseblog
Dementia is caused by different diseases that affect the brain. Alzheimers disease is the most common of these diseases. Some other common types of dementia include vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.
This means that dementia is not a disease in its own right. Dementia is the name for a group of symptoms that commonly include problems with memory, thinking, problem solving, language and perception.
While there is a relationship between dementia and Alzheimers disease, there are key differences between the two.
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What To Do If A Loved One Is Suspicious Of Having Dementia
- Discuss with loved one. Talk about seeing a medical provider about the observed changes soon. Talk about the issue of driving and always carrying an ID.
- Medical assessment. Be with a provider that you are comfortable with. Ask about the Medicare Annual Wellness exam.
- Family Meeting. Start planning, and gather documents like the Health Care Directive, Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, Estate Plan.
What Is Alzheimers Disease
Dementia is the term applied to a group of symptoms that negatively impact memory, but Alzheimers is a specific progressive disease of the brain that slowly causes impairment in memory and cognitive function. The exact cause is unknown, and no cure is available.
Although younger people can and do get Alzheimers, the symptoms generally begin after age 65.
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Diagnosis Of Alzheimer’s Disease
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can typically be reached when diagnosing what’s causing a person’s dementia symptoms. Doctors can come to a conclusive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease by conducting a blood test to check your beta-amyloid levels.
Beta-amyloid is a protein found to abnormally build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease which means its symptoms worsen over time.
Early diagnosis is key to treating the disease efficiently and extending a person’s life expectancy with this condition.
Difference Between Alzheimers & Vascular Dementia
Alzheimers disease happens when neurons in the brain begin to die due to clumps of sticky proteins. Vascular dementia, on the other hand, is from impaired blood flow. The diseases also attack different parts of the brain. Alzheimers affects the grey matter while vascular dementia affects the white matter. Vascular dementia is more likely to affect movement in the earlier stages than Alzheimers.
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Alzheimers And Other Types Of Dementia
The ugly reality is that dementia often manifests as a relentless and cruel assault on personhood, comfort, and dignity. It siphons away control over thoughts and actions, control that we take for granted every waking second of every day.
Michael J. Passmore, Geriatric PsychiatristUniversity of British Columbia
Dementia is the collective name for progressive, global deterioration of the brains executive functions. It develops primarily in later adulthood and is a major cause of disability in older adults. Almost everyone with dementia is elderly but nevertheless dementia is not considered a normal part of aging.
Very early identification of dementiabefore obvious symptoms appearis an intense focus of research. Staging and correctly diagnosing dementia is becoming increasingly important in the clinical setting. Understanding the difference between Alzheimers disease and other types of dementia and differentiating dementia from delirium and depression is of critical importance.
Did you know . . .
Worldwide more than 35 million people live with dementia and this number is expected to double by 2030 and triple by 2050 .
Degeneration of Cerebral Neurons
Left: A healthy nerve cell. Right: A dying nerve cell. Source: ADEAR, 2014.
We are learning that the changes associated with dementia occur over years, or even decades, before emotional, physical, or cognitive symptoms emerge. Eventually symptoms become obvious, and they lead to gradual and progressive decline .
Stages Of Alzheimers Disease
Some features of Alzheimers disease are commonly classified into three stages, or phases. Not all these features will be present in every person, and they might occur at different stages.
Mild Alzheimers disease
Sometimes this stage is only apparent in hindsight. The onset of Alzheimers disease is usually gradual and it is often impossible to identify exactly when it began.
Someone might:
- have difficulty shopping or preparing meals.
Moderate Alzheimers disease
At this stage, the impacts of the condition are more apparent and prevalent. A person may experience significant challenges to their independence and require daily support.
Someone might:
- be forgetful of current and recent events, although generally remember the distant past, even if details may be forgotten or confused
- often be confused regarding time and place
- become lost more easily
- forget the names of family or friends, or confuse family members
- forget saucepans or kettles left heating on the stove
- be less able to perform simple calculations
- show poor judgement and make poor decisions
- see or hear things that are not there or become suspicious of others
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Why Do Dementia Patients Cry
Sadness and Crying Crying about little things is common in certain types of dementia because those little things affect areas of the brain that control emotions. Your loved one also might be remembering sad events, or be sick or worried about their health. If your loved one cries all the time, they might be depressed.
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What Foods Are Bad For Dementia
The MIND diet specifically limits red meat, butter and margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast food. You should have fewer than 4 servings a week of red meat, less than a tablespoon of butter a day, and less than a serving a week of each of the following: whole-fat cheese, fried food, and fast food.
Walking And Physical Movement
Vascular dementia: Vascular dementia is often accompanied by some physical challenge. If a person has a stroke, they may have limited movement on one side of her body. Both the cognitive and physical impairments related to vascular dementia usually develop at the same time since they are often the result of a sudden condition like a stroke.
Alzheimers: Often, mental abilities like memory or judgment decline initially, and then as Alzheimer’s progresses into the middle stages, physical abilities like balance or walking show some deterioration.
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Can Dementia Get Worse Suddenly
Dementia is a progressive condition, meaning that it gets worse over time. The speed of deterioration differs between individuals. Age, general health and the underlying disease causing brain damage will all affect the pattern of progression. However, for some people the decline can be sudden and rapid.
What Are The 10 Warning Signs Of Dementia
The 10 warning signs of dementia
- Sign 1: Memory loss that affects day-to-day abilities. …
- Sign 2: Difficulty performing familiar tasks. …
- Sign 3: Problems with language. …
- Sign 4: Disorientation in time and space. …
- Sign 5: Impaired judgement. …
- Sign 6: Problems with abstract thinking. …
- Sign 7: Misplacing things.
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How Is Dementia Treated
Treatment of dementia depends on the underlying cause. Neurodegenerative dementias, like Alzheimers disease, have no cure, though there are medications that can help protect the brain or manage symptoms such as anxiety or behavior changes. Research to develop more treatment options is ongoing.
Leading a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, healthy eating, and maintaining social contacts, decreases chances of developing chronic diseases and may reduce number of people with dementia.
Treatment And Care Plans For Dementia And Alzheimers
Being able to accurately diagnose Alzheimers from other forms of dementia affects treatment plans, insurance coverage, and even care options. In most cases, dementia is irreversible and incurable. However, there are some medications that can help manage the symptoms of dementia and the drugs to treat dementia depend on the type of dementia. For example, there are drugs to make the symptoms of Parkinsons disease more manageable but there is no way to stop or slow the dementia associated with Parkinsons. Having an accurate diagnosis can help medical professionals create a comprehensive care plan.
Alzheimers is a terminal illness and individuals diagnosed with the disease live an average of 4 to 8 years after diagnosis. In the later stages of the disease, home care or moving to a memory care community may become necessary.
While dementia and Alzheimers are related conditions, they have different aspects that are important to recognize, becoming more apparent as the disease progresses. Contact one of our memory care communities today to learn more about Leisure Cares holistic approach to memory care. Our caregiving experts are ready to come alongside your family and walk this road with you.
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