Pioneering a new era in brain health
The landscape of Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics is undergoing an important shift toward earlier, less invasive evaluation. Until recently, evaluating the amyloid pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease often required specialized brain imaging or analysis of cerebrospinal fluid obtained through a lumbar puncture. The development of blood-based biomarkers has introduced a simpler alternative.
FDA-cleared blood tests, including the Lumipulse G pTau217/ß-Amyloid 1-42 Plasma Ratio, can help physicians assess whether amyloid pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease is present in certain patients with signs or symptoms of cognitive decline.
Alzheimer’s-related changes in the brain can begin years before noticeable symptoms appear, making earlier and more accurate evaluation an increasingly important part of Alzheimer’s care.
Why early detection matters
Earlier diagnosis may provide access to treatment options that are most appropriate during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. FDA-approved anti-amyloid treatments, such as lecanemab, have been shown to slow clinical decline in certain patients with early Alzheimer’s disease, including those with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia.
Beyond potential medical benefits, earlier evaluation may give South Carolina families more time to address lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors and undertake important legal and care planning while the individual retains the requisite capacity to participate in those decisions.
Expanding Alzheimer’s care in South Carolina
The Palmetto State carries a heavy burden, with roughly 1 in 10 residents over 65 living with Alzheimer’s. South Carolina also ranks among the highest rates of dementia mortality in the nation.
Recognizing this crisis, local medical leaders are taking aggressive steps to make advanced biomarker testing universally accessible.
Backed by $10 million in state funding, a partnership among MUSC, Clemson University and the University of South Carolina established the South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (SC-ADRC), a statewide initiative focused on Alzheimer’s research, diagnosis, treatment, education and clinical care. State funding has also supported advances in biomarker testing and analysis for research and clinical use in South Carolina.
MUSC has also developed the South Carolina Alzheimer’s Network (SCAN) to expand access to specialized expertise. SCAN uses an eConsult model that allows primary care providers to begin an evaluation and send patient records, imaging and other information to specialists for review. The specialist team can then provide recommendations concerning additional testing or treatment and arrange an in-person evaluation when appropriate.
The model is designed to reduce delays and extend specialist support across South Carolina, including communities where access to neurologists is limited.
Securing the future: How elder law firms step in
For families facing Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of cognitive decline, legal and financial planning can take on added importance. An elder law firm can help families put appropriate documents and planning structures in place while the individual retains the requisite capacity to do so, which is one reason earlier recognition and evaluation of cognitive decline can be so important.
Establishing clear decision-making authority early may reduce the likelihood that stressful and expensive court-supervised guardianship or conservatorship proceedings will be necessary later. Elder law attorneys can also help families address asset protection, caregiving arrangements, long-term care needs and Medicaid eligibility planning, with the goal of preserving as much autonomy and financial security as circumstances allow.
The model is designed to reduce delays and extend specialist support across South Carolina, including communities where access to neurologists is limited.
For educational purposes only. This is not legal advice. Lisa Hostetler Brown is a Certified Elder Law Attorney certified by the National Elder Law Foundation. 2 Hampton Hall Blvd, Ste 100, Bluffton, SC 29910. | 843-757-5294 | LawyerLisa.com.
