June 20, 2014

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

British Prime Minster David Cameron makes Alzheimer's a priority, the need to recruit minorities in the A4 clinical trials, and an online Alzheimer's screening test raises questions about the efficacy of early diagnosis (read more)

 

Must reads

  • A June 20, 2014 Tech Times article reported on British Prime Minister David Cameron's commitment to stoping Alzheimer's. According to the article, "Cameron wants to double the spending on dementia drug research, which to date, only amounts to one fifth of that allocated for cancer research. He will also urge businesses and governments to accelerate the development of new drugs as the number of individuals with dementia is anticipated to double every twenty years. Despite the continued prevalence of dementia, only three dementia drugs were developed in the last 15 years. Economic implications are also at stake with the development of new drugs. A dementia drug that could delay the onset of the disease by three years could result in an annual savings of £5 billion in Britain."The truth is that dementia now stands alongside cancer as one of the greatest enemies of humanity," says the Prime Minister, who will be discussing the matter at the upcoming conference. "We have to fight to cure it. I know some people will say that it's not possible, but we have seen with cancer what medicine can achieve.""
  • A June 19, 2014 Washington Post article reported on recruitment efforts for a new national Alzheimer's prevention study and put the spotlight on the need for minorities to participate in the A4 Study clinical trials. According to the article, "A large and potentially groundbreaking drug trial holds the promise of a new way to treat Alzheimer’s disease, but the test will require thousands of healthy volunteers who may be especially difficult to recruit, in part because of a simple fact about the widely feared illness: Those who have, or are likely to get, Alzheimer’s disease may not want to know it…The trial has another significant recruiting challenge: Sperling is insisting that at least one fifth of participants come from underrepresented groups such as African Americans and Latinos, who generally make up only 5 percent of clinical trials…If a site is not able to come up with enough diversity among its recruits, she said, it may be put on hold. Recruiters are turning to churches and universities with large minority populations to spread the word."
  • A June 19, 2014 New York Times article reported on an online Alzheimer's screening test developed by the Ohio State University. According to the article, "Dr. James E. Galvin, a professor of neurology and psychiatry at New York University Langone Medical Center who has used the SAGE test with patients, said with early detection patients can have a say in how their care is structured, and who they want to manage their finances as their condition progresses. “They can have those discussions coherently,” he said….Dr. Scharre cautions that poor results on the test are not definitive, but suggest that more detailed neurological and psychological testing be conducted. Thyroid problems, stroke and conditions like sleep apnea could also be indicated. “It’s not a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s,” he said. “It’s saying, ‘There’s a concern,’ to help start the conversation.'"