Dementia is one of the fastest-growing categories of disease, but it remains among the hardest to diagnose and treat. Everyone wants to be able to spot the condition before major symptoms emerge. That’s how you plan ahead to mitigate its impact. Bridging the gap between that desire and actually being able to diagnose and treat it early has proven more difficult. However, a company called Creynos Health may have moved us a step closer (https://longevity.technology/news/measuring-up-creyos-aims-to-bridge-the-brain-health-care-gap/).
Creynos specializes in measuring and analyzing the health of the brain. For 30 years, it has been doing research and gathering data through hundreds of peer-reviewed studies, and now it’s putting all that knowledge and experience into one protocol. It’s an online service powered by machine learning that can screen for everything from mild cognitive impairment to full-blown dementia, help you plan for care and treatment, and continue to monitor you over time.
Mild cognitive impairment can often be an early sign of a more serious neurodegenerative condition, but it’s also easily missed. Only about 8% of cases are diagnosed. Most people will just shrug off an occasional moment of forgetfulness as a natural part of growing older.
Even if you do seek medical help, your regular doctor probably only has access to the most basic tests. Specialists have more advanced techniques and equipment, but trying to see a neurologist or neuropsychologist if you live in a remote rural area or a low-income neighborhood, or you’re part of a community with a historic distrust of doctors, is going to be an uphill struggle.
The new Creynos protocol is based on the research the company has done into the brain, but also the comments and concerns of people currently working in the sector. It’s faster, more reliable, more comprehensive, works with existing healthcare systems, is compatible with Medicare or insurance, and can provide practical next steps regarding care, financial planning and living arrangements, along with an accurate diagnosis. That reduces both costs and stress in the long-term.
Evidence suggests that around 7 million people are living with Alzheimer’s, which is just one form of dementia, in the United States alone. That figure is only going to grow, and with it the hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on dementia-related healthcare every year. The work Creynos is doing is becoming increasingly relevant.
