January 23, 2014

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

The latest research on the effectiveness of solanezumab and bapineuzumab, Sen. Susan Collins calls for increased Alzheimer's investment, and the latest on the link between fish and brain health (read more). 

 

 

Must reads

  • A January 22, 2014 Los Angeles Times article reported that "In late clinical-trial findings published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the monoclonal antibodies known as solanezumab and bapineuzumab were shown ineffective at changing the downward cognitive trajectory of Alzheimer's patients." According to the article, "At the same time, Schneider said, the failure of both therapies "is not a nail in the coffin" of treatment approaches that aim to alter the course of Alzheimer's by targeting the buildup of beta-amyloid plaque in the brain. These antibodies have failed to deliver clinical improvements, he said, but several other ways of combating the buildup of beta-amyloid, including vaccines that prompt the body to produce its own antibodies to beta-amyloid and drugs that attack precursors to the protein, are being tested in clinical trials." Also covered by Agence France Presse.
  • A January 22, 2014 Portland Press Herald article reported that Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) spent Wednesday morning touring the Alzheimer’s unit of Bay Square and advocated for increased investment in Alzheimer's research. According to the article, "The recent federal spending bill that passed Congress earlier this month included an extra $120 million in funding for Alzheimer’s disease research. Collins said that’s a good start but it’s not nearly enough. Even if her goal of $2 billion is reached, that would still only equal 1 percent of what is spent every year on treating the disease.“But what an investment it would be,” the senator said Wednesday after her tour, saying big investments in cancer and HIV/AIDS research have paid off."
  • A January 22, 2014 New York Times Old Age blog post highlighted Alzheimer's and dementia patients who are unaware of their illness. According to the article, "This little-known yet common consequence of this kind of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders is called anosognosia, and it leaves people unaware that they are compromised by illness.Imagine someone who survives a stroke and is paralyzed on the left side of his body, but is convinced he can walk without assistance. A less extreme example: Someone with moderate memory deficiency gets lost on the road or has accidents, but thinks she is driving just as well as ever."
News you can use 
  • A January 22, 2014 USA Today article reported on the latest research linking fish and brain health. According to the article, "Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, says there have been conflicting reports on this topic but this latest research "would suggest there is a positive relationship between omega-3 fatty acid-rich diets and the preservation of brain volume in aging. The take-home message is to eat a heart-healthy diet that includes fish. I'd also recommend physical exercise and engagement in intellectual activity.""