Early Alzheimer's Gene Is a Curse for Families, a Gift for Science

Great Radiolab podcast about the MIT discovery -- http://www.radiolab.org/story/bringing-gamma-back/

60 Minutes recently featured the Columbia-based research. Can't testify to the scientific rigor of the report, but it was very interesting to this layman.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-alzheimers-disease-me...

You can still take steps to mitigate it, which are probably all considered good advice anyway: https://www.alz.org/research/science/alzheimers_prevention_a...

FWIW: this particular gene variant is extremely rare, and explains only a tiny fraction of early-onset Alzheimer's cases. It's not a therapeutically useful test to administer. The point of the article was that the known gene and near-certain likelihoods of developing the disorder among carriers make for a rich, laboratory-like setting for studying the disease progression.

The problem is that this is only one known cause, so getting tested and not having that gene doesn't mean you won't get it. Since that gene is pretty rare, I wouldn't see much value in it.

That said, I do understand where you're coming from. My mother also had early-onset Alzheimer's, and it's really scary to know that it could happen to me as well.

> how do you live knowing if it turns out I have the gene. reply

You may be able to make end of life plans in certain countries before onset depending on your desires.

Maybe it's worth it just on the basis that, in the unlikely event that you do have the gene, you may be able to contribute to research into the disease?

I wonder how researchers feel or consider "cold call volunteers". I imagine that on one hand they are grateful but on the other hand mustn't compromise their study; the middle must be some form of personal heartbreak and professional clarity.