| SIU Alzheimer Center searches
for answers to mysterious disease
Alzheimer's disease is a debilitating disease that drains families, both emotionally and physically. Families struggle to care for their elderly loved ones who often can no longer remember their children's faces, how to feed themselves, or how to sit upright in a chair. A "brain bank" that is part of the Center for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is studying this debilitating disease. One of about 20 in the nation and the only one in downstate Illinois, the brain bank contains specimens of human brains, which have been donated from autopsies of victims of the disease. It is directed by Robert Struble, Ph.D., associate professor of pathology and neurology and research director for SIU's Alzheimer Center. The samples of patients' brains in the bank are used for neuropathological examinations to determine the causes of dementia and to serve as a source of tissue needed for research. Struble and other researchers study the brain of a deceased patient by doing histologic stains to bring out aspects of the brain under the microscope that allow the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. These images are compared to the way a healthy person's brain looks. "Doing an autopsy is the only way to accurately diagnose Alzheimer's. Physicians are unable to positively differentiate Alzheimer's disease from other dementias. Through research like this, Alzheimer's disease has been determined to be the major cause of dementia," explains Struble. The clinical assessment of a patient done during an office visit allows physicians to rule out treatable forms of dementia and determine the best treatment strategy for the individual patient. Anyone who goes through the clinical assessment at SIU or one of its provider sites can sign up for the autopsy program. The Center for Alzheimer Disease at the School of Medicine has designed a network of 24 primary provider sites as part of its Springfield-based center. The network is made up of physicians, nurses, allied health professionals and nursing home staff trained to identify patients who may have Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. SIU's Alzheimer Center team of medical specialists works with the primary provider sites to treat patients in the local communities so they can avoid traveling to Springfield. In addition to conducting research to help combat this puzzling disease, the center offers comprehensive services to treat patients and counsel families. SIU scientists are searching for other ways to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, especially in the earlier stages. "Researchers have determined that early in the disease, Alzheimer patients are unable to name a particular smell, and they get very confused about smells. This seems to differentiate them from patients who have other types of memory problem," explains Struble. These researchers are now making simple smell tests more complex so they can pick out individuals who still appear normal, but might be experiencing changes, providing an early signal of the onset of dementia. Early detection will help patients have more years of functional survival. The causes of Alzheimer's disease are slowly being narrowed by researchers around the world, who are studying the causes of dementia. Stress, although it has not been proven to be a cause for Alzheimer's disease, may be a contributing factor to worsening symptoms. "We have seen autopsy cases with considerable Alzheimer's pathology, but the patients had seemed cognitively intact, until they came into a stressful event such as hospitalization. Then, the dementia showed up," says Struble. Struble suggests the best ways to avoid getting Alzheimer's disease are to keep your mind active by reading and doing crossword puzzles rather than watching too much television. Living a healthy lifestyle seems to decrease the risk also. This means eating balanced meals with lots of leafy green vegetables and getting lots of exercise. The SIU Alzheimer Center uses a toll-free telephone number to answer questions about Alzheimer's disease or related memory disorders, 1-800-DIAL-SIU (1-800-342-5748). The Center's Web site is www.siumed.edu/cadrd/. -- Ruth Slottag All primary provider sites for SIU's Center for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders
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