He wants to see why some people with Alzheimer's disease come to medical attention and others do not. Many, it turns out, are not properly diagnosed. At present, we only know why people come to see us. What we don't know is if people who don't come in are ignoring certain symptoms. The study may lead to ways to spot Alzheimer's disease sooner.
Early diagnosis has many benefits.
For one thing, memory problems may be due to treatable diseases other than Alzheimer's or to a medication problem. But early recognition of Alzheimer's disease helps the family understand that the patient's behavior is due to an illness and thus reduces frustration, conflict and argument. Early diagnosis also helps patients get their financial and legal affairs in order and lets the family make changes in the home environment to ease life for both patients and caregivers.