Biotech Values

[Biowatch]

>>Some elderly people who die with the disease don't have senile plaques.

Is this the same disease? (One of the key methodologies for advancement of modern medicine has been to divide up 'one disease' by etiology)
<<

You can have dementia without having Alzheimers. There is also something called multi-infarct dementia, which is a series of tiny strokes that kill parts of your brain one bit at a time. In the past the only way to reliably distinguish the two was looking for plaques during an autopsy. Plaques meant Alzheimers, lack of plaques implies multi-infarct dementia (or some other cause.) Nowadays you can look for them via MRI or CT scans, but not everyone has that done.

Most elderly patients who die of seemingly natural causes don't have autopsies done.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/multi_infarct_dementia/multi_infarct_dementia.htm

"What is Multi-Infarct Dementia?

Multi-infarct dementia (MID) is a common cause of memory loss in the elderly. MID is caused by multiple strokes (disruption of blood flow to the brain). Disruption of blood flow leads to damaged brain tissue. Some of these strokes may occur without noticeable clinical symptoms. Doctors refer to these as “silent strokes.” An individual having a silent stroke may not even know it is happening, but over time, as more areas of the brain are damaged and more small blood vessels are blocked, the symptoms of MID begin to appear. MID can be diagnosed by an MRI or CT of the brain, along with a neurological examination. Symptoms include confusion or problems with short-term memory; wandering, or getting lost in familiar places; walking with rapid, shuffling steps; losing bladder or bowel control; laughing or crying inappropriately; having difficulty following instructions; and having problems counting money and making monetary transactions. MID, which typically begins between the ages of 60 and 75, affects men more often than women. Because the symptoms of MID are so similar to Alzheimer’s disease, it can be difficult for a doctor to make a firm diagnosis. Since the diseases often occur together, making a single diagnosis of one or the other is even more problematic.

Is there any treatment?

There is no treatment available to reverse brain damage that has been caused by a stroke...."

etc.