The hope for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease is the focus of the “60 Minutes Overtime” video. Dr. Ali Resai discusses a cutting-edge approach to brain surgery and ultrasound technology that could revolutionize treatment for Alzheimer’s patients. The video showcases how ultrasound technology has been used to efficiently deliver therapeutics to specific parts of the brain in patients with Alzheimer’s, resulting in a dramatic reduction in beta ameloid plaque buildup. Dr. Resai also discusses new blood testing developments that could help identify patients at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, even before symptoms appear. While a proven method to prevent Alzheimer’s disease is not yet known, Dr. Resai emphasizes the importance of positive lifestyle changes, such as diet, exercise, and sleep, to improve overall brain health and reduce the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The video also delves into ethical questions surrounding blood testing for Alzheimer’s and the potential empowerment individuals may feel by knowing their risk factors. Overall, the video offers hope and optimism for early detection and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
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60 Minutes Overtime you’re going to go right in there this week on 60 Minutes we reported on a cuttingedge approach to brain surgery that could revolutionize treatment for Alzheimer’s disease over the last year Dr Ali rosai has been using ultrasound technology to more efficiently deliver Therapeutics to
Specific parts of the brain in patients with Alzheimer’s the result he showed us were astonishing so you can see here in this case in seen here in red blotches beta ameloid plaque a buildup of protein believed to be linked to the cognitive impairment in those with Alzheimer’s was dramatically reduced in those patients
50% more than other parts of the brain treated with an infusion alone amid the plaques there are protein fragments that accumulate in everybody’s brain over time in people with Alzheimer’s it accumulates much faster so imagine your roads in your brain get blocked with congestion and lots of these protein
Clumps so the brain cannot communicate because the roads are blocked and it keep on accumulating and impacting function and what happens is you reach a critical Threshold at that point usually about 15 to 20 years you’re accumulating these proteins these plaques in the brain at a higher Pace than you can
Clear them out because we always always clear the plaques we have plaques every day at nights when you sleep plaques are cleared at which time you start having symptoms for example people cannot find their way around they get lost they can’t um do a bill or a calculate tip
And problems with memory and thinking occurs it’s just one of the areas impacted with Alzheimer’s there’s many other factors but this beta amalo plaque are really becoming more and more of interest in terms of development of new therapeutic approaches for them to clear this plaqu we also spoke with Dr Rai
About new developments in blood testing that could help doctors identify patients who are at risk for Alzheimer’s disease there are now blood tests that allow you to look at your blood test and look at plaques in your blood as a potential screening tool even if you’re not symptomatic or even if you don’t
Know if you have all so you could potentially look at your blood sample you wouldn’t even need a scan to know if you might have a black buildup in the brain indeed so that that technolog is out there um and recently there’s been a lot of progress there so you can do a
Blood test that tells you that you have beta amalo and then the Physicians can do further studies it’s an important simple screening tool and then you can get a brain scan a pet scan that basically looks at how much of these protein plaques you have in your brain
This beta ameloid it’s got a lot of ethical questions what you would do with it each person needs to look at their own self and what they want to do with it right now we’re only doing it for people who have early Alzheimer’s very early mild cognitive imper or MCI but I
Can see potentially a time in the future where people can say I want to test my blood I have a family history of Alzheimer’s so I want to know if I have beta amalo in my blood and if I do maybe I want to get a brain scan to see if I
Have amalo in my brain and it’s empowering for an individual to know what may be down the line you may not get Alzheimer’s but then you know that you have increased beta ameloid in your blood and in your brain and I want to make a point that’s important it’s not
Just beta ameloid as the only cause of Alzheimer’s there are many factors but it’s right now it seems to be a key area where Therapeutics are being directed with Pharma and companies developing strategies to clear that beta amalo while a proven method to prevent Alzheimer’s disease is not yet known Dr
Rai says positive lifestyle changes to diet exercise and sleep can improve your overall brain health and that might reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s disease if you know you have plaques and they’re accumulating but you don’t have the symptoms yet what would you do well that’s when you want to get on it right
That’s when you want to try different therapies or do simple basic things we can all do eat better Mediterranean diet has been shown to be beneficial sleep is fundamental to human recovery reduction of stress reduction of alcohol aerobic exercise um controlling your blood sugar management of weight and obesity diabetes hypertension all these
Contribute to memory loss or memory difficulties over time so if we can optimize these especially if you know that you may be at risk for Alzheimer’s in the future we can do the simple things that we can all do diet exercise engaging with families and friends new hobbies has been shown to very
Significantly recover the brain the brain is very dynamic
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Video “The hope for early detection of Alzheimer's disease” was uploaded on 01/15/2024 to Youtube Channel 60 Minutes