If you have a loved one suffering with Alzheimer's, then you know the personal pain it can cause patients and their family.

While a cure may be years away, there are new advances being made to diagnose the disease.

Healthcare workers at an Alzheimer's center spend the day helping patients with activities to strengthen their minds.

The center, located at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Knoxville, is only one ray of hope for patients and caretakers battling the disease.

"It's a difficult disease," said Janice Wade-Whitehead with the Eastern Tennessee Chapter, Alzheimer's Association. "It's difficult for caregivers cause life is 24-7 caring for someone with Alzheimer's."

But now, a new test that uses spinal fluid to detect certain biomarkers could help doctors to diagnose the disease earlier. That's good news for Wade-Whitehead.

"With this disease it's critical we be able to diagnose it early in order to have an impact with the medicines available now," said Wade-Whitehead.

Dr. John Doughtery with the Cole Neuroscience Center at the University of Tennessee Medical Center says an early diagnosis and certain medications may actually slow the progression of Alzheimer's.

"Patients who have early diagnoses actually reduce the cost of Alzheimer's across the board," according to Dr. Doughtery.

"Biomarkers, in other words, things we can look at coupled with early changes in memory represent a pattern that allows us to make diagnoses much earlier than we've been able to do in the past."

That could help folks as young as 55 to determine if they have certain biomarkers identified with the disease - taking steps before symptoms occur and giving healthcare workers more time.

Said Wade-Whitehead: "If we don't get ahead, we won't be able to take care of the baby boomers. The health structure we have is insufficient."

You can check with your doctor about using your spinal fluid to detect certain biomarkers identified with Alzheimers. The average age of diagnosis is 68 years old.

For more infomation about the Alzheimer's Association, click on the link below.