New 'triangle test' devised to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s 12 years before diagnosis
One of the heartbreaking realities about chronic illnesses and conditions is that they are often diagnosed at a later stage when prevention and delay are nearly impossible. For something like Alzheimer’s, many signs and symptoms show up. Nevertheless, many miss out on these and get a diagnosis when it is far advanced. A study revealed that a “triangle test” can help detect the disease at least 12 years before its diagnosis, per The New York Post. Its efficiency has been advocated for by the results of the study, which might just be worth the shot.
The National Library of Medicine published the findings of a study conducted on over 8000 individuals. It was done by giving the participants a simple test. Each individual was asked to press a button as soon as they spotted a triangle in a field of shifting dots. Titled as the “Visual Sensitivity Test” (VST), it examined the cognitive health of the participants. Those with a good score managed to spot the triangles quickly and press the button. However, over 500 participants showed signs of deteriorating cognitive health with their performance. They were unable to locate the triangle efficiently and press the buttons. These people later reportedly developed dementia.
Many people know that dementia is associated with memory. However, before they begin to forget things as a visible sign, other factors can also be a warning. A reduced “complex visual processing” is related to the likelihood of future dementia, per the study. The author of the study noted, “Visual issues may be an early indicator of cognitive decline as the toxic amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease may first affect areas of the brain associated with vision, with parts of the brain associated with memory becoming damaged as the disease progresses,” per The Conversation. As a result, vision tests can detect the possibility of the disease long before memory tests do.
It was added, “People with Alzheimer’s seem to have an issue ignoring distracting stimuli, which may show up as eye-movement-control issues.” As a result, it would naturally become difficult for them to spot the triangle among the moving dots. This visual incapacity is also connected with why people with dementia tend to forget faces. The latter don’t scan faces as healthy individuals do. Moreover, the study also noted that people suffering from dementia feel lost sometimes, as unlike others, they do not move their eyes “purposefully” to scan their environment, which includes the faces of those they have met recently. This “ineffective eye movement” can be the reason why many people can’t recognize faces in the earlier stages.
There are a few other visual incapacities that can indicate an early diagnosis of dementia. These include not being able to differentiate between the colors green and blue and even having difficulty controlling eye movement. The study noted that it would be helpful and effective to include such visual tests along with neurological tests while determining a dementia diagnosis. Additionally, healthy eye movement can help reduce the likelihood of dementia. Reportedly, people who read or watch TV a lot have a reduced risk of the condition.