BACKGROUND: According to Alzheimer's Disease International, more than 24 million people worldwide are estimated to have Alzheimer's disease, and this number is expected to increase to 81 million by 2040. This degenerative disease is the most common cause of dementia, and is often not detected until in its advanced stages. The Alzheimer's Association says it is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. In addition to non-medicinal treatments, there are currently five FDA-approved drugs that can ease and slow the progression of Alzheimer's symptoms, but there is no cure. Early detection facilitates the best course of treatment.

DETECTION: Currently, the most common form of testing for Alzheimer's is long-winded and requires a pen, paper and distraction-free environment. In addition, it is usually not administered until the patient exhibits symptoms of the disease. Warning signs that you or a loved one might have Alzheimer's include the following:

• Loss of memory

• Difficulty finding the right words or understanding what people are saying

• Difficulty performing previously routine tasks

• Personality and mood changes

After symptoms like these occur, it's impossible to reverse the effects of the disease up to that point; however the new DETECT device may make it possible to screen for the disease before symptoms show, and may become part of regular physical exams.

A NEW TEST: DETECT, created by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, is a portable, ten-minute test that gauges reaction time and memory to measure mild cognitive impairment (MCA), often the earliest stage of Alzheimer's. "It measures cognitive function," David Wright, M.D., co-director of research for Emory University's department of emergency medicine in Atlanta, told Ivanhoe. "For example; memory, or reasoning, the ability to pick out your medications or remember whether you left the stove on or when you go outside, remember how to return to your house; things like that." The device administers a shortened, adapted version of the traditional detection test through an LCD display in a visor with an onboard dedicated computer, noise reduction headphones and a controller. The DETECT software can track cognitive abilities and decline year to year.

BENEFITS: Because it is inexpensive and takes only ten minutes, DETECT could easily be integrated into yearly physical exams. In addition, the device blocks outside light and sound, so it can be administered virtually anywhere. Catching Alzheimer's in its early stages enables treatment to slow the degenerative process, and this new device may make early detection possible.

To learn more about the DETECT device or find out how you can participate in the study, call (800)-75-EMORY or click here