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Scientists Uncover Stealth Phase of Alzheimer’s Two Decades Before Symptoms

Researchers found early damage to brain cells governing spatial navigation that could enable interventions long before memory loss appears.

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Overview

  • A Seattle-based team used machine learning on post-mortem brains to reveal a hidden first phase in Alzheimer’s marked by the loss of critical inhibitory neurons in navigation centers.
  • Experts from the University of East Anglia identify subtle spatial disorientation—such as misreading sat navs or personal space errors—as the earliest potential sign of this stealth phase.
  • Dr Mariano Gabitto says targeting these initial neuron losses could open a new therapeutic window to delay or prevent the disease’s cognitive decline.
  • The UK currently has nearly 1 million dementia patients—60% of whom have Alzheimer’s—with projections rising to 1.4 million cases by 2040 and costs set to hit £90 billion over the next 15 years.
  • Researchers are urging the creation of affordable screening tools and promotion of lifestyle changes to leverage this two-decade head start for early diagnosis and intervention.