Yesterday I got to play human torpedo stuck in the tube and listening to the warped magnetic dwarfs banging on the outside with hammers. In other words, I had an MRI and you have to dream up some kind of weirdness while you’re in there for 45 minutes. The MRI was voluntary and part of the screening process to become an official Alzheimer’s lab rat. So now it’s wait a week or so, then the research folk will schedule me for the next step – a PET scan.
This all started back in September of 2018 when I noticed one of those “you may be interested in” things on FB for the Alzheimer Prevention Registry. They were soliciting for research participants through a program called Gene Match; I shared it with my wife and we filled out the request for cheek swab kits. The swabs are used to perform a DNA test in order to determine if you have the APOE4 gene; the presence of which increases the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s. Five days later the kits were sent; I don’t recall how long the whole process took, but about two months later I was informed that I was a “study match.” My wife didn’t qualify because she’s still a youngster (less than 60 years old).
With the notification of being a match came a list of local centers that were participating in the program. After informing the local folks I was interested, my first appointment was set for the first of the year (2019); the delay being the holidays, etc.
The first meeting was the usual “meet and greet” and have the program explained; then ensure that I was interested in participating. A month later was the 2nd visit and a gob of paperwork to sign – none of which obligates you; in fact you can quit anytime. My biggest concern was there is a potential move (job change) coming and I didn’t want to waste their time. As it turns out there’s a high probability of another research lab near where I’m going. I should also note that on the 2nd visit and every other visit since, they’ve administered the “Mini-Mental State Examination” which seemed pretty silly. A few of the questions were asked were as follows: what day is it, where are you, instructions to fold a piece of paper and drop it on the floor, you’re given a number and subtract another number from it repeatedly (47-7, 40-7, 33-7, etc.).
The third visit was a bit more involved with an EKG, blood work, doctor exam, and a photo shoot in my whitey-tighties. The EKG was to screen for any cardiac concerns. Blood work was to ensure my chemistry was good and that I was off the charts on anything; also was checking for how well my system metabolizes medications – evidently, everyone is different (imagine that). I am “borderline” type-2 diabetic and fight the fight against cholesterol like most sedentary office workers, none of this was an issue for the study. I was also given a more involved memory test that was geared toward assessing how well my short-term memory was functioning. Finally, an assessment of my mental health to ensure that I wasn’t depressed, suicidal, etc.
Oh I about forgot (ha-ha), I started this with the MRI – the purpose of which is to determine if I’ve had any strokes or other brain impairments (cysts, etc.) that would affect the testing. The PET scan to follow will have a tracer that has an affinity for a protein in the brain that accumulates around you neurons. Your brain has garbage collectors that keep the protein count down, but Alzheimer’s is theorized to mess the trash system up. Feel free to check out the link below for a more formal description that I’m too lazy to include here.
https://www.medicaldaily.com/new-theory-alzheimers-it-tau-proteins-not-plaque-triggers-brain-cell-death-308792
See you around for Part-2, if I remember to do it (haha). But seriously, one of the researchers shared a rather scary statistic that if a cure (or something that can slow Alzheimer’s down) is not found soon; it could be as soon as 15-20 years from now that there will not be enough people to care for those affected with the disease.
Please go to Diary of an Alzheimer Lab Rat – Part 2
Or if you’re curious about who I am, please go to Who Am I
babychristian55 