The public understanding of Alzheimer’s and its impact is constantly improving, the Alzheimer’s Research Trust has said.
Spokesman Timothy Parry said that while, like many diseases, the impact of dementia is only really understood by those personally affected, greater public awareness could be the springboard that sees the management, improvement and research into the disease “soar”.
“People with dementia have long been blighted by stigma, but Alzheimer’s Research Trust feels that the tide is changing,” Mr Parry said.
“People are rightly becoming more willing to talk about their diagnosis and the public is beginning to understand that dementia is caused by brain diseases and not an inevitable part of ageing.”
Recently, a team from University College London (UCL) released research that suggested combining spinal fluid tests with MRI scans could help detect the disease earlier than current methods allow.
Commenting on the research, Mr Parry said: “It’s crucial to overall research efforts to detect dementia early, otherwise we will be unable to test new treatments effectively and people will be at a disadvantage for accessing support, advice and services.”
Craegmoor UK