London: A new study has found that a decline in cognitive ability in middle age may sound the alarm years before symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease appear.
Research conducted at University College London has revealed that people at risk of dementia due to genetics or lifestyle start to lose their sense of direction 25 years earlier.
The study, published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, tested the cognitive performance and orientation of 100 at-risk individuals between the ages of 43 and 66.
Experts believed that testing someone’s orientation using virtual reality could lead to early diagnosis of the disease.
Dr Coco Newton, from University College London, said the findings suggest that changes in attitudes towards orientation may be early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
He said scientists are working to develop methods in the coming years to aid clinical decision-making for diagnosis by leveraging research findings. It is a completely new method of diagnosis that will help people in timely and accurate diagnosis.
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