A study on early detection of Alzheimer’s in the Sultanate of Oman claims to have developed a medical device ‘Ganglio-Nav’ for an early detection of the disease.
The study, entitled ‘WithYou – A clinical decision support system for early detection of Alzheimer in the Sultanate of Oman’ is the brainchild of a group of doctors and academicians.
The research is funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation (MoHERI), and the report wilI be circulated on Tuesday, according to the researchers.
“We have developed a medical device ‘Ganglio-Nav’ for an early detection of Alzheimer’s. This is crucial for the treatment of the disease,” said Dr Sherimon PC at Arab Open University.
According to the latest data released by the WHO, Alzheimer’s & dementia deaths in the Sultanate of Oman have reached 323 or 2.18 per cent of total deaths. The country ranks 24 in the world and the age-adjusted death rate here is 22.46 per 100,000 of population.
Researchers have found out that chronic stress may be one of the factors involved in the development of Alzheimer’s as constant stress can affect the brain’s immune system leading to dementia symptoms.
Additionally, age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s and it mainly affects people over 65. A person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s doubles about every five years after 65 and one in six people over 80 have dementia while many of them have Alzheimer’s disease.
To extend support and to create awareness on Alzheimer’s, the Oman Alzheimer’s Society was founded by Dr Hamed al Sinawi in 2013 and has been a member of ADI (Alzheimer’s Disease International) since 2018.
Based in Muscat, the Oman Alzheimer’s Society have recently launched a Dementia Friends programme to support those at the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Dr Renchi Mathew, an associate in the research said the device uses the latest advancements in machine learning and works through the implementation of a mobile application. A formal demonstration of the technical nuances of the device and how it can be used in a beneficial manner will be conducted during the research dissemination meeting.
Arab Open University, Royal Oman Police (ROP) hospital and University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), Muscat worked jointly for the project.
“We plan to disseminate our findings on Tuesday, in front of a large number of invitees from various authorities and scholars and other academicians,” said Dr Sherimon.
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