New drug could help detect dementia

Treating dementia comes with high costs — emotionally and economically, but a new medical advancement could help detect the disease earlier.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a radioactive imaging chemical from General Electric to help screen patients for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, reports the Associated Press.

Currently, Alzheimer’s is diagnosed through observing patients and administering mental and physical tests. But the newly approved drug, Vizamyl, is injected before a medical imaging scan and can highlight abnormal brain plaque associated with dementia caused by Alzheimher’s disease.