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Early detection and treatment of Alzheimer's makes a difference

Submitted by Fiona McPherson on

A Finnish project (ALSOVA) has been following 240 patient-caregiver pairs, where the patient had very mild or mild Alzheimer's disease at the beginning of the study and had a family caregiver. A three-year follow-up of 115 patients has found that those diagnosed and treated very early were able to manage their everyday activities longer and suffered from less psychological and behavioral symptoms, compared to those diagnosed later.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-07/uoef-eda071813.php

Hallikainen, I., Hänninen, T., Fraunberg, M., Hongisto, K., Välimäki, T., Hiltunen, A., … Koivisto, A. M. (2013). Progression of Alzheimer’s disease during a three-year follow-up using the CERAD-NB total score: Kuopio ALSOVA study. International Psychogeriatrics, 25(Special Issue 08), 1335-1344. (Original work published 2013)

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