U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to bolster training for primary care providers so they can better diagnose Alzheimer’s and other dementia and deliver high-quality, person-centered care in community-based settings.
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Despite hopes raised by earlier observational studies and biomarker shifts, The Lancet trials found that oral semaglutide did not meaningfully slow clinical progression in early Alzheimer’s disease over two years.
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An earlier diagnosis and intervention strategy for Alzheimer’s disease is on the horizon, signaling a need to overhaul current detection methods and patient care protocols, experts at the Alzheimer’s Association Research Roundtable (AARR) said.
“Advances in biomarker technology, digital cognitive assessments, and amyloid-targeting therapies have redefined the opportunities for accurate and early diagnosis and care of Alzheimer’s disease,” reported Christopher Weber, PhD, of the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago, and co-authors in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions.
These advances create new possibilities to intervene before the onset of cognitive impairment, Weber and colleagues wrote. Targeting the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s, Weber said, “is similar to how doctors treat other diseases like heart disease and some cancers, where early detection and prevention are key parts of care.”
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People with Alzheimer’s disease often have other neurodegenerative conditions as well, including a less-understood disorder called frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). While a precise diagnosis of FTLD has only been possible during an autopsy, new research shows how clinicians may be able to diagnose people living with both Alzheimer’s and FTLD by evaluating neuropsychiatric symptoms.
In a study published in Neurology, researchers found that compared to patients who have either of the two types of dementia alone, having both Alzheimer’s disease and FTLD is associated with greater likelihood of having known neuropsychiatric symptoms of both diseases.
The findings could have important implications for patients and their caregivers, the researchers noted, because patients with both disorders may experience a more complex disease course, rapid decline or unique responses to disease-modifying treatments.
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Researchers have pinpointed three already approved medications that may be repurposed to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Instead of starting from scratch, scientists examined medicines that are currently used for other conditions to see whether any could help protect the brain.
The study, funded by Alzheimer’s Society and led by the University of Exeter, was published in Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy. Among the drugs reviewed, a shingles vaccine (Zostavax) emerged as the most promising candidate. Viagra (sildenafil) and a medication used to treat motor neurone disease (riluzole) also showed strong potential.
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Researchers are calling for more studies to determine whether lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA), a surgical procedure that helps clear molecular waste from the brain, might benefit people with Alzheimer’s disease.
“LVA represents a novel therapeutic strategy that may complement existing treatments, offering new hope for addressing the [disease biology] of [Alzheimer’s disease]. Through collaborative, long-term clinical trials, LVA may emerge not only as an adjunct to current [Alzheimer’s] therapies but also as a potential treatment avenue for other neurodegenerative diseases,” Khong Yik Chew, MD, a senior consultant at Singapore General Hospital, said in a press release.
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