A senior who exhibits memory loss, confusion, poor judgment, repetition, and difficulty completing daily activities has the telltale signs of Alzheimer’s disease, right? Actually, what appears to be a clear-cut case of Alzheimer’s may in fact be a recently discovered dementia.
Known as LATE, or limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, this condition presents with nearly identical symptoms, but the underlying cause is another story. Rather than the buildup of amyloid plaques and tangles inherent in Alzheimer’s, LATE is identified by deposits of TDP-43 protein, according to Dr. Julie Schneider, associate director of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
And TDP-43 protein issues are actually quite common in seniors, with as many as one in four adults over age 85 impacted enough to cause noticeable thinking and/or memory problems. Yet it remains an under-diagnosed condition, which can lead to misdiagnoses, and consequently, inappropriate treatment options.
The latest recommendations call for those who have been diagnosed with LATE to be removed from Alzheimer’s medication research, focusing research instead on developing biomarkers to better recognize LATE, to seek out therapeutic intervention methods, and to expand testing to include a wider range of diverse populations, in order to improve both prevention and treatment.
Understanding the differences between both types of dementia is key to proper treatment, and per Dr. James Pickett, head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, “This evidence may also go some way to help us understand why some recent clinical trials testing for Alzheimer’s disease have failed – participants may have had slightly different brain diseases.”
Key components of LATE include:
- Mainly impacting seniors over age 80
- A slower progression than Alzheimer’s
- Typically only affects memory
- Can be combined with Alzheimer’s disease, which leads to a more rapid decline
Whether Alzheimer’s disease, LATE, or another type of dementia, the Hinsdale home care experts at Independence-4-Seniors Home Care provide the highly customized, skilled and creative care that helps older adults live the highest possible quality of life where it’s most comfortable: at home. Our caregivers are fully trained and experienced in helping those with dementia, as well as family caregivers, to better manage the varying challenges experienced in each stage.
Contact us any time at (630) 323-4665 to request additional dementia care resources, find answers to your questions, to see if our services are available in your area, or to schedule a complimentary in-home assessment to discover more about how we can help someone you love with dementia.