Alzheimer’s Disease and Clinical Trials
What Is Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's Disease is a type of brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and cognition. One of the most commonly known symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease is dementia, which is a loss of reasoning, cognitive functioning, and memory. While some loss is natural as we age, dementia has a significant impact on one's daily life and may eventually require full-time care.
Current Research Areas
Alzheimer's disease is progressive, meaning it gets worse over time. As of right now, there is no way to completely cure Alzheimer's, but treatment exists that may help to slow progression of the disease.
In fact, these types of treatments are continually improving. In May of 2021, a clinical trial was completed on donanemab. This is an antibody found to help preserve cognition in those with Alzheimer's and help them maintain their ability to complete daily activities.
Our understanding of Alzheimer's is ever-evolving. There is very little known about what causes the disease to develop, which is why there is no treatment to cure or prevent it. However, in a recent study, scientists may have identified a factor responsible for the development of Alzheimer's.
One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is inflammation and brain cell death. This study found an abundance of potentially toxic fat-protein complexes in the blood that leaked into the brain. This resulted in inflammation in surrounding tissue and brain cell death.
This research and many other studies currently underway are looking to better understand Alzheimer's disease, improve treatments and potentially find a cure. The best way to be a part of up-and-coming treatments is to join a clinical trial.
Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's Disease
Clinical trials are medical research studies that evaluate investigational treatments for improving health conditions and observe a given population to understand more about particular diseases. They are essential for providing better treatments, prevention and potential cures.
It's an exciting time to join clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease as research in the field is expanding every day. There are some clinical trials specific to Alzheimer's disease, while others may have a greater focus on dementia.
The goals of these trials vary. Some clinical trials are trying to better understand the genetic factors that contribute to dementia, while others are evaluating the efficacy of investigational drugs such as donanemab.
Whatever your struggle with Alzheimer's, there is likely a clinical trial that you can participate in to further the understanding of the disease. Without this help, Alzheimer's disease research studies and other memory loss studies would not be able to progress. So, clinical trial participants play a crucial role in advancing Alzheimer's disease treatment.
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33720637
- https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001358