(Mirror Daily, United States) – A new study suggests subtle changes in our sense of smell may signal that Alzheimer’s disease is already here. A group of researchers found that people who are not able to correctly identify more than 35 familiar scents may be already affected by the debilitating disease.
Scientists explained that not the sensitivity of our nose is affected, but the brain’s ability to recall familiar odors. Researchers now hope that the findings could help with the development of new tools that detect Alzheimer’s in its earliest stages.
The team also found that minor changes in the eye’s nerve fiber layer may provide a clue to the neurodegenerative condition. Study authors observed that a thinning of the nerve was tied to lower scores in cognitive tests including memory tests.
The research team explained that the nose and eyes are “windows to the brain,” so it is natural for them to reflect changes in the brain as they occur.
The good news is that Alzheimer’s can be delayed thorough a computer game that challenges the brain’s ability to reason, recall things, and process new information, or at least this is what a separate group of researchers said at a recent medical conference.
The new game dubbed ACTIVE trial reportedly can lower risk of Alzheimer’s by 30 percent over a decade if it is done ten times within an hour. This feat, however, requires training and a speedy processing power.
Additionally, subjects who did a refresher every three to four years saw their risk of developing the disease drop by 48 percent. Researchers deemed the results “dramatic” since no software has been so far able to decrease Alzheimer’s disease risk.
Nevertheless, the game is still under testing and it doesn’t promise to reverse the condition. It just delays the onset. But that’s enough for it to exist, researchers said, since just about everyone wants to stave off this condition which virtually steals the soul.
Critics of the game were unimpressed. They believe that the brain training app is just another instance of false advertising coming from the brain training industry. Brain training byproducts’ effectiveness is highly controversial, but people fall for promises of keeping their brains sharp into the old age.
Furthermore, the brain training app, which was recently presented at a conference, has yet to be peer-reviewed. And future trials may lead to other conclusions than those presented at conferences, critics say.
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