Maxima Medisch Centrum will now be able to detect dementia better, thanks to a new scanning device. This scanner will allow Alzheimer’s disease to be diagnosed more quickly and accurately. Catharina Ziekenhuis in Eindhoven has been using the scanner for some time now.
The scanner is particularly intended for patients who display signs of dementia at a relatively early age. Since the disease does not often occur in people younger than 65, Alzheimer’s disease is seldom diagnosed, with the result that the correct treatment or support is not given. The new scanner should solve that problem, at least in part.
Dementia is not the first thing that comes to mind, when younger patients have problems with memory and concentration. The wrong diagnosis, such as burnout or depression, can often make the patient very insecure, and actually lead to depression, according to doctors.
In Alzheimer’s disease, the nerve cells in the brain are destroyed because of a build-up of certain proteins between the nerve cells. With the new scanner, meticulous registrations of the head are made. The images show whether there is a build-up of proteins between the nerve cells.
