Social media users share an image online with a composition of animals that look like a face and claim that the camel seen in the image means the viewer will not develop Alzheimer’s for a long time. There is no evidence to support this, and the Alzheimer’s Association has confirmed that it is not a verified way to test a patient. The implications of the reports – that everyone will eventually develop Alzheimer’s and that if you do not spot the camel, you will soon develop Alzheimer’s are also false.
Examples can be seen here and here.
The headline of one message reads: “Doctors say if you can find the camel, you are far from Alzheimer’s.
The posts do not mention any source or provide information about the mentioned doctors.
Some versions of this image here and here do not contain the camel and ask the user to count how many animals are visible. In the versions containing the camel, which is very small, it is visible on the right side of the horse’s hind leg.
Reuters could not find the original maker of the image. A search on TinEye, an image search and recognition tool, has revealed that it has been spreading here since at least February 2008.
The image is reminiscent of the artwork of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who created portraits by assembling various animals and objects here.
The Alzheimer’s Association lists the warning signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s on its website here.
These include memory loss that disrupts daily life, challenges in planning or solving problems, problems completing familiar tasks, confusion over time or place, problems understanding visual images and spatial relationships, new problems with words in the speaking or writing, to put things wrong and not to be able to. repeated steps, diminished or poor judgment, withdrawal from work or social activities, and changes in mood and personality.
The association explains here that Alzheimer’s develops “as a result of complex interactions between several factors”, including age, genetics, environment, lifestyle and medical conditions.
There is no evidence that locating a camel in an image means that a person will not develop Alzheimer’s for a long time.
Heather Snyder PhD, vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, told Reuters in an email that the claim was untrue. “The image depicted has not been tested in research studies to determine whether it is a valid or reliable method of detecting or diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease,” Snyder added. “There is no simple, accurate test available today that can determine if someone will develop Alzheimer’s disease later in life.”
Snyder said doctors use a variety of approaches to diagnose Alzheimer’s. These may include neurological examinations, mental status tests, brain imaging and more, as outlined here.
VERDICT
Untrue. There is no evidence that a camel is not seen in this image, that the viewer will develop Alzheimer’s.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.