Washington D.C., [USA], March 20 (ANI): According to a recent study, an investigational medication seems to decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s-related dementia in individuals who are predisposed to the condition during their 30s, 40s, or 50s.
The research indicates, for the first time in a clinical study, that initiating therapy early to eliminate amyloid plaques from the brain several years prior to symptom appearance can postpone the development of Alzheimer's dementia.
The research has been published in The Lancet Neurology.
A global research project included 73 individuals carrying hereditary genetic alterations leading to excessive amyloid production in the brain, making it almost certain that these persons will develop Alzheimer's disease during their middle years.
For a subset of 22 individuals without any cognitive issues at the beginning of the study who were administered the medication for the longest duration—approximately eight years—the therapy reduced the likelihood of symptom onset from nearly 100% down to around 50%. This finding was derived from principal data analysis and corroborated through various sensitivity assessments confirming this pattern.
"Every participant in this study was bound to develop Alzheimer’s disease, even though some have not shown symptoms yet," explained senior author Randall J. Bateman, MD, the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Distinguished Professor of Neurology at WashU Medicine.
We aren't certain about the duration for which they will remain free from symptoms—this could range anywhere from several years to multiple decades. To provide them with the greatest chance of maintaining cognitive health, we've proceeded with additional treatments using an alternative anti-amyloid antibody, hoping that this might prevent symptoms entirely. Our current understanding indicates that it’s feasible to postpone the emergence of Alzheimer's disease symptoms and thereby offer individuals extra years of quality living.
These discoveries offer fresh backing for what’s known as the amyloid hypothesis concerning Alzheimer's disease. This theory suggests that the initial stage towards cognitive decline involves an accumulation of amyloid plaques within the brain. According to this view, eliminating these plaques or preventing them from forming could halt the onset of symptoms.
For this study, Bateman and colleagues evaluated the effects of an experimental anti-amyloid drug to see if the medication could prevent the development of dementia.
The group studied included individuals who initially joined the Knight Family DIAN-TU-001, the globe’s initial Alzheimer's prevention trial, before proceeding to an extended phase where they were administered an anti-amyloid medication.
Presently headed by Bateman and mainly supported by the Alzheimer's Association, GHR Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Knight Family DIAN-TU-001 initiative began in 2012 with the aim of assessing anti-amyloid medications as potential preventative treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
Every participant in the study exhibited minimal to slight cognitive impairment, and they all fell within a window of 15 years prior to and up to 10 years following what would be anticipated as their age for potential Alzheimer’s disease onset, considering their familial background.
The analysis of this dataset indicated that eliminating brain amyloid plaques several years prior to when symptoms are anticipated to begin can delay the emergence of these symptoms and slow down the progression of dementia. However, statistical significance was observed solely among individuals initially without symptoms who received treatment for the longest duration. (ANI)
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