Original Work Proposal

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     Neuroscience is a relatively new field of science but the success in research has come quick and tremendous. Although as a whole we are seeing results, there is still so much more to uncover and so many questions researchers are finding trouble solving. In the case of neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s Disease, years and years after identification, these diseases are still incurable. Particularly, Alzheimer’s Disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the US, and it is estimated that around 16 million Americans will be living with it by 2050. Currently we are only able to “treat” the symptoms, but soon enough, with sufficient research, professionals claim that we will be able to reverse the effects of neurodegeneration if the disease is detected early enough or even develop a vaccine for it.

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     From the interviews I’ve had and the research I have accumulated, it seems that diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is through certain screenings, tests, and usually is only detected once irreversible damage has occured. It is predicted that if we can diagnose the issue early on, the consequences can be reversed. Therefore, early diagnosis is a vital aspect to be looking into. I propose to develop my own screening tests that will incorporate aspects of new research and be  more time efficient, so that it can be easily implemented in a normal doctor’s appointment.

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     For my project, I will need to first understand Alzheimer’s disease and what specifically is affected in the brain. I have to figure out what are the early signs to be wary of, and figure out how I can incorporate my research into the screening test. I then will have to take a look at a number of screening tests and compare and contrast them. In doing this, I can see what features are most tested and are the best questions to insert into my screening test. By integrating newer research with older questions that were proven successful in pointing a finger to Alzheimer’s disease, I may be able to find a more successful way of screening. The research I want to do will be focused more on finding a better biological marker rather than a cognitive/psychological factor. The screening tests out now are all based on cognition and memory, and although my biological factor might have memory or cognition relations, It will bring another area of review when testing for Alzheimer’s disease.

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     I hope that my original work will go as successfully as I envision it to. The test will provide a quick and easy way to screen for Alzheimer’s disease. If the prediction is true, that 16 million americans will suffer from Alzheimer’s, it is important to be able to give patients these screening tests as early as possible. My test will be simple and short, since many people do not want to stay in the doctors for too long. It is essential to be able to catch a patient has this disease in its early stages, so creating a more effective test or method of diagnosis will be helpful and advantageous to finding a cure to Alzheimer’s disease.