Scientists quash claims about single 'depression genes'
Investigators came to this conclusion after analyzing the early results of a study that is examining the clinical impact of a new type of scan called amyloid PET imaging
ISLAMABAD (Pakistan Point News / Online - 05th April, 2019) Investigators came to this conclusion after analyzing the early results of a study that is examining the clinical impact of a new type of scan called amyloid PET imaging.
The study is a nationwide trial involving more than 11,000 people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia symptoms who enrolled at 595 sites across the United States.It is the first investigation of its kind, and all the participants are beneficiaries of Medicare, the U.
S. Federal health insurance plan.The results of the first phase of the trial, which now feature in a JAMApaper, reveal that providing doctors with amyloid PET scan results can affect the medical management of people with dementia symptoms.
In almost two-thirds of cases, doctors changed their minds about medications, counseling, and other medical decisions after seeing the amyloid PET imaging results.
Also, in more than a third of cases, doctors altered their diagnosis of the cause of the symptoms.
"We are impressed," says lead study author Gil D. Rabinovici, who is a professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, "by the magnitude of these results, which make it clear that amyloid PET imaging can have a major impact on how we diagnose and care for patients with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline.
"Dementia refers to a group of symptoms that includes a decline in the ability to remember, think, reason, and relate to others. The symptoms can worsen over time until the person can no longer take care of themselves and live independently.
According to a 2018 report from Alzheimer's Disease International, there are close to 50 million people worldwide with dementia, and this figure is set to triple by 2050.