Getting
lost could be an early sign that Alzheimer's disease might affect you later in
life, according to new research.
The Prevent project, based at Edinburgh
University, aims to understand early biological and clinical markers to
identify risks in young people and to help prevent Alzheimer's and dementia.
The study, funded by the Alzheimer's Society,
suggests that poor navigational skills could be
Getting lost could be an early sign that
Alzheimer's disease might affect you later in life, according to new research.
'Alzheimer's is considered to be a disease of
memory but we now think from our early work that the difficulty people are
really having – at least to begin with – is not to do with declining memories
but to do with their declining ability to visualise the location of objects or
themselves,' said Karen Ritchie, one of the researchers, according to The Guardian.
She added: 'They are losing their ability to
navigate.'
Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of
dementia, affecting an estimated 850,000 people in the UK, according to the
NHS.
Dementia is a progressive neurological disease
which affects multiple brain functions, including memory.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of
dementia, affecting an estimated 850,000 people in the UK, according to the
NHS.
The exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown,
although a number of things are thought to increase your risk of developing the
condition.
These include:
- increasing age
- a family history of the condition
- previous severe head injuries
- lifestyle factors and conditions associated with cardiovascular disease
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive condition,
which means the symptoms develop gradually and become more severe over the
course of several years.
SOURCE: Mailonline, Harvey Day
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