Breakthrough in Alzheimer's disease (part 2)

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

Here is a dementia music activity

uab.edu

Administered through infusions
Patients in the trials undergo an infusion of bapineuzumab every 13 weeks in addition to several MRI scans and neuropsychological testing. More than 100 sites in the United States are participating in the randomized study funded by Elan, but UAB is the only participating site in Alabama. Numerous sites around the world are participating in an identical study funded by Wyeth. UAB is enrolling participants in both studies.

The studies are double-blind and placebo-controlled. Sixty percent of patients enrolled in the studies will receive the drug, and 40 percent will not. Participants will be given the opportunity to receive the study drug in an extension study after the 18-month study has been completed.

UAB is in the top 25 percent in the country for enrolling participants in the studies, and more are being sought. Potential participants can call the Office of Psychiatric Research at 934-2484 to be screened. Patients currently taking Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne or other Alzheimer’s drugs will continue to take their existing medications in addition to the trial medication.

Those who are eligible to participate in the study must be between ages 50 and 88, have a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s disease, and have a caregiver who is willing to be involved in the study.

“Something will come out in the not too distant future that I think will be pretty miraculous,” Kinney says. “If it weren’t promising, we wouldn’t be participating in the study.”