Every month, I’ll be highlighting Alzheimer’s research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: Artificial intelligence accurately predicts who will develop dementia in two years
While this may not seem to be particularly “earth-shaking”, it has some interesting
potential.
According to the article: “Artificial intelligence can predict which people who attend memory clinics will develop dementia within two years with 92 per cent accuracy, a largescale new study has concluded.”
According to the article: “Artificial intelligence can predict which people who attend memory clinics will develop dementia within two years with 92 per cent accuracy, a largescale new study has concluded.”
Couple of things here – what’s a “memory clinic”? From the article: “…people who attended a network of 30 National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center memory clinics in the US. The attendees did not have dementia at the start of the study, though many were experiencing problems with memory or other brain functions. In the study timeframe between 2005 and 2015, one in ten attendees (1,568) received a new diagnosis of dementia within two years of visiting the memory clinic.”
So, what the heck’s a “memory clinic”???
It appears to be a few things!
First off, I found this: “Those working in memory clinics are specifically trained in understanding conditions such as dementia. They can carry out certain tests to determine your loved one's stage of the condition. This will allow them to prescribe certain drugs, recommend certain lifestyle changes or guide you on useful mental exercises.”
It seems to dovetail with this: “Memory clinics were first described in the 1980s. They have become accepted worldwide as useful vehicles for improving practice in the identification, investigation, and treatment of memory disorders, including dementia. They are provided in various settings, the setting determining clientele and practice. All aim to facilitate referral from GPs, other specialists, or by self-referral, in the early stages of impairment, and to avoid the stigma associated with psychiatric services [What stigma is that?]. They bring together professionals with a range of skills for the benefit of patients, caregivers, and colleagues, and contribute to health promotion, health education, audit, and research, as well as service to patients.”
So, at first blush, it’s a place where health care workers – doctors, nurses, etc. – go to learn how to take care of people with memory problems.
However, I also found this as well at MemoryClinic.net (hotlink below). They offer: “Memory screening self-tests; detailed neurocognitive assessment by neurologist and health care assistant; memory counseling with optimization of genetic, lifestyle, and medical risk factors; memory games and engagement to build cognitive reserve; regular neuropsychological evaluations and memory coaching; referral to specialist care if required for diagnostic workup (MRI, blood tests); symptomatic and disease modifying treatment; prescription and monitoring.”
This online clinic seems to imply that face-to-face, regular doctors and clinics typically offer only this assistance on your/your loved one’s journey:
(emphasis on diagnosis only):
Prevention: Primary care, with limited focus on memory / neuropsychological care
Diagnosis: Primary care tentative diagnosis or referral or memory clinic in specialist hospital
Monitoring and treatment: Sporadic follow-up if feasible
MemoryClinic.net MIGHT be covered by your insurance, but for only $50/month, you can get all of this! But how much of it is different from what you get from a regular clinic?
I know this started out defining what exactly a Memory Clinic is, but it seems there are two definitions: one is a place where Alzheimer’s doctors and those who work with patients with various forms of dementia or memory loss learn the latest research and best practices. The other is sort of like…I dunno, “Brain Camp” (“The Other Woman”, comedy movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2203939/). One of the characters thinks she’s dumb and needs to get smarter by going to “brain camp”.
This on-line memory clinic seems to offer everything a person’s doctor offers – PLUS: Memory screening self-tests; memory counseling with optimization of genetic, lifestyle, and medical risk factors*; memory games and engagement to build cognitive reserve…
OK – I can buy a memory screening self-test at a book store or ask my doctor to do one. I know I can, because I did because I wanted a baseline of me at 64. I’ve no idea what “memory counseling” is. It sounds impressive, but I don’t know who would be qualified to counsel you on your memory, it’s even LESS clear what “optimization” is. Let’s check the definition: “the action of making the best or most effective use of a situation or resource”. So, they’re going to help me make the most effective use of my genetic risk factors; my lifestyle risk factors; and my medical risk factors.
My doctor does the last two regularly. A “memory clinic” does not probably have a genetics counselor on staff, nor do they likely have the ability to do a genetic workup on you. That’s both expensive and unlikely to shed light on your chances of developing Alzheimer’s.
But I was scared, so I did some research into that here: https://breastcancerreaper.blogspot.com/search?q=Alzheimer%27s+risk+increase WORST CASE scenario, if your parent had Alzheimer’s is only an increase of risk of 3%. My AGE has more to do with me developing Alzheimer’s than Dad’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and his genes do…
So, to say that I’m now skeptical about “Memory clinics” is to understate it a bit. I’m probably about as skeptical of them – and this new computer program – as I am of “brain health supplements”…I’d rant some more, but you can see for yourself (paragraph 3 gives the brand name of the supplement you’re probably most familiar with) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aequorin
Later, folks…
Resources: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211216145926.htm, https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-research-centers, https://www.memoryclinic.net/about/
Image: https://i.insider.com/605cf658106eb50019d05b11?width=1000&format=jpeg&auto=webp
So, what the heck’s a “memory clinic”???
It appears to be a few things!
First off, I found this: “Those working in memory clinics are specifically trained in understanding conditions such as dementia. They can carry out certain tests to determine your loved one's stage of the condition. This will allow them to prescribe certain drugs, recommend certain lifestyle changes or guide you on useful mental exercises.”
It seems to dovetail with this: “Memory clinics were first described in the 1980s. They have become accepted worldwide as useful vehicles for improving practice in the identification, investigation, and treatment of memory disorders, including dementia. They are provided in various settings, the setting determining clientele and practice. All aim to facilitate referral from GPs, other specialists, or by self-referral, in the early stages of impairment, and to avoid the stigma associated with psychiatric services [What stigma is that?]. They bring together professionals with a range of skills for the benefit of patients, caregivers, and colleagues, and contribute to health promotion, health education, audit, and research, as well as service to patients.”
So, at first blush, it’s a place where health care workers – doctors, nurses, etc. – go to learn how to take care of people with memory problems.
However, I also found this as well at MemoryClinic.net (hotlink below). They offer: “Memory screening self-tests; detailed neurocognitive assessment by neurologist and health care assistant; memory counseling with optimization of genetic, lifestyle, and medical risk factors; memory games and engagement to build cognitive reserve; regular neuropsychological evaluations and memory coaching; referral to specialist care if required for diagnostic workup (MRI, blood tests); symptomatic and disease modifying treatment; prescription and monitoring.”
This online clinic seems to imply that face-to-face, regular doctors and clinics typically offer only this assistance on your/your loved one’s journey:
(emphasis on diagnosis only):
Prevention: Primary care, with limited focus on memory / neuropsychological care
Diagnosis: Primary care tentative diagnosis or referral or memory clinic in specialist hospital
Monitoring and treatment: Sporadic follow-up if feasible
MemoryClinic.net MIGHT be covered by your insurance, but for only $50/month, you can get all of this! But how much of it is different from what you get from a regular clinic?
I know this started out defining what exactly a Memory Clinic is, but it seems there are two definitions: one is a place where Alzheimer’s doctors and those who work with patients with various forms of dementia or memory loss learn the latest research and best practices. The other is sort of like…I dunno, “Brain Camp” (“The Other Woman”, comedy movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2203939/). One of the characters thinks she’s dumb and needs to get smarter by going to “brain camp”.
This on-line memory clinic seems to offer everything a person’s doctor offers – PLUS: Memory screening self-tests; memory counseling with optimization of genetic, lifestyle, and medical risk factors*; memory games and engagement to build cognitive reserve…
OK – I can buy a memory screening self-test at a book store or ask my doctor to do one. I know I can, because I did because I wanted a baseline of me at 64. I’ve no idea what “memory counseling” is. It sounds impressive, but I don’t know who would be qualified to counsel you on your memory, it’s even LESS clear what “optimization” is. Let’s check the definition: “the action of making the best or most effective use of a situation or resource”. So, they’re going to help me make the most effective use of my genetic risk factors; my lifestyle risk factors; and my medical risk factors.
My doctor does the last two regularly. A “memory clinic” does not probably have a genetics counselor on staff, nor do they likely have the ability to do a genetic workup on you. That’s both expensive and unlikely to shed light on your chances of developing Alzheimer’s.
But I was scared, so I did some research into that here: https://breastcancerreaper.blogspot.com/search?q=Alzheimer%27s+risk+increase WORST CASE scenario, if your parent had Alzheimer’s is only an increase of risk of 3%. My AGE has more to do with me developing Alzheimer’s than Dad’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and his genes do…
So, to say that I’m now skeptical about “Memory clinics” is to understate it a bit. I’m probably about as skeptical of them – and this new computer program – as I am of “brain health supplements”…I’d rant some more, but you can see for yourself (paragraph 3 gives the brand name of the supplement you’re probably most familiar with) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aequorin
Later, folks…
Resources: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211216145926.htm, https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-research-centers, https://www.memoryclinic.net/about/
Image: https://i.insider.com/605cf658106eb50019d05b11?width=1000&format=jpeg&auto=webp
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