Dementia can arise from multiple conditions, and it is characterized by an array of symptoms including problems with memory, attention, communication, and physical coordination. The two most common causes of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease and white matter strokes, which are small strokes that accumulate in the connecting areas of the brain. “It’s a vicious cycle: the two leading causes of …
On November 6, 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee reviewed issues related to the efficacy and safety of aducanumab, a human IgG1 anti-Aβ monoclonal antibody specific for β-amyloid oligomers and fibrils implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Given the importance of drug innovation for this common and often devastating disease, the abandonment of prior monoclonal …
More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia and the “Comprehensive Care for Alzheimer’s Act” would help the 95% of individuals with dementia that have one or more other chronic conditions, such as hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. The bipartisan bill is expected to reduce medical complications for these patients by creating a …
Loneliness has been linked to Alzheimer’s pathology and cognitive function among older adults, but little research has looked at loneliness as a dementia risk factor for younger people. In a study conducted at the Boston School of Medicine, being persistently lonely during midlife (ages 45-64) appears to make people more likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) later in …
New treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are desperately needed, but numerous clinical trials of investigational drugs have failed to generate promising options. A team at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) has developed an artificial intelligence-based method to screen currently available medications as possible treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. The method could represent a rapid and inexpensive way to …
While most Alzheimer’s detection and prevention research focuses on the aggregation of tau tangles and amyloid-beta proteins in the brain, some novel approaches are finding success elsewhere. A research team led by Eugenia Trushina, recently received the Alzheimer’s Drug Discover Foundation-Harrington Scholar Award to fund their research into mitochondrial restoration, a novel approach with surprising results in preventing Alzheimer’s decline. …
Eli Lilly announced that an investigational agent targeting beta-amyloid, Donanemab, appeared to slow decline in patients with early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The drug showed significant slowing versus placebo on a composite measure of cognition and daily function in the phase II TRAILBLAZER-ALZ study. The medication met the primary endpoint of change from baseline to 76 weeks in the Integrated …
There are a number of cognitive screening assessments that are used to assist in diagnosing early Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, etc. These are quick screens and consist of tasks such as listing objects, recalling items that were provided at the beginning of the assessment, naming the current President, etc. Although there are inconsistencies in outcomes with these types of assessments as …
A number of research projects are underway to develop a sensitive blood test that could help screen people for Alzheimer’s disease in a less invasive and costly way than current imaging and biomarker tests. NIA-supported researchers at Washington University in St. Louis reported an advance in Neurology for their method of detecting amyloid protein in the blood. The researchers are …
New research is showing 70% accuracy in predicting Alzheimer’s Disease in cognitively “normal” individuals’ years before cognitive decline begins. This was tested using a simple language test with the hope that eventually these results will be utilized to develop and implement diagnostic tests using a simple, inexpensive speech probe. The technology will assist in identifying those at a higher risk …
