Early Stage Alzheimer's Patients Speak

This new report released by the Alzheimer's Association is informative, compelling and long overdue.

"Alzheimer's is like a monster under the bed. You have two choices: You can either look under the bed and scope out the monster and see what tools you have to fight him, or you can sit there and wait for him to come. There's so much you can do if you know early on."

Download the Voices of Alzheimer's Disease Report (36 pages)

Summary(extracted from the report)

The intent of this report is to illuminate the experience of being in the early stage of Alzheimer‟s disease or related dementia and to share the perspectives of those affected on how they wish to be viewed, respected, engaged and treated by the larger field of Alzheimer‟s professionals and researchers as well as the public at large. Throughout the document, quotes taken directly from people with Alzheimer‟s disease provide a window into the consciousness of those still capable
of offering this level of insight. The themes that emerged from this nationwide discussion outline a road map of sorts to offering empowerment and appropriate engagement. This summary of themes is a brief, but telling, review of the perspectives that were shared.

The Stigma of Alzheimer’s and its Impact on Relationships

The overriding theme influencing much of the discussion is that people in the early stage of Alzheimer‟s are misunderstood because of myths and misconceptions about the disease and that this misunderstanding leads to a dominant negative stigma associated with having the condition.

People with early-stage Alzheimer‟s repeatedly point out that they are living with Alzheimer‟s, not dying from it. They acknowledge the fears and uncertainties that accompany a diagnosis but seek support in remaining viable and respected members of society, retaining their person hood and ability to contribute.

Negative associations with Alzheimer‟s disease are shown to have a direct impact on the relationships between people with the disease and most everyone with whom they come into contact. People described the change in interactions that occur with their family and friends, colleagues and co-workers, as well as with the medical community. People with early-stage Alzheimer‟s seek to work together with all those in their life to improve their interactions in a way that will result in their continued positive involvement and acknowledgment of their ideas and contributions as valid. Demonstrating a strong desire to be active in advocacy and awareness-raising, the challenge is set to diminish the existing stigma and enable the
continuation of their person hood.

Dissatisfying Interactions with the Medical Community

People with early-stage Alzheimer‟s report significant challenges in effectively navigating both the diagnostic process and the follow-up treatment and care they receive. They express difficulty securing a valid and timely diagnosis, particularly those with early-onset Alzheimer‟s, and describe a severe burden associated with the current diagnostic testing procedures. Once Alzheimer‟s is identified, they seek more complete information about what to expect and the steps that can be taken to enhance their quality of life, both in terms of available medications and
community resources.

There is a strong desire to participate in research and make contributions to the larger field of scientific inquiry to gain both potential benefits for themselves as well as to aid future generations of those affected by this disease. They outline potential barriers to this contribution, specifically critiquing the present eligibility criteria for inclusion in research.

Uncertainty about Availability of Support Services

A lack of knowledge about accessible and appropriate support services available in communities was repeatedly expressed. Still, they acknowledge the benefit of the services that are available, and in which they have participated. Specifically, they highlight the importance of securing appropriate support, and seek support groups that are offered in various modalities to connect with others that have a shared understanding of their experience.

Further, they describe the need for expanded and enhanced support services to educate them about the disease and what to expect, while keeping them apprised of new developments in available research and emerging treatments to fight their decline. There is a pronounced need for improving existing support services and increasing accessibility of these services.

Sources of Major Concern in Daily Life

People with early-stage Alzheimer‟s recognize the changes that are taking place in their own independence and functional ability. A major fear expressed in this discussion is the continued decline in independence and the prospect of becoming increasingly reliant on loved ones and other care providers. There is a hope that recognition of these fears will lead to their own personal inclusion in the decision-making process and that their involvement will lay appropriate plans across a range of areas to help minimize the negative consequences of disease progression.

In particular, a major fear was expressed about the impact on their ability to continue driving. Viewed as a proxy for overall independence, there is a hope to remain as independent as possible, for as long as possible. They propose and seek solutions that will enable them to meet this need over time, and in a manner that preserves their safety.

Desire to Stay Involved and Make a Difference

Perhaps above all else, people in the early stage of Alzheimer‟s demand to be heard and fight to remain engaged as contributing members of their community. They wish to be included in everyday activities and remain social. They hope to have the opportunity to take advantage of the abilities they retain to make a difference by raising awareness among the public and advocating for change. Whether in their local community or with federal policy makers, they hope to tell their story and in doing so, put a “real face” on this disease.

If they are enabled to continue participating in the activities they have always enjoyed then the current practice of dwelling on their condition and treating them as a disease will be assuaged. In their hearts, people with early-stage Alzheimer‟s want to enjoy life and they demand that those without the disease assist them in achieving their pursuit of happiness to the extent possible.

Conclusion
It is well known that Alzheimer‟s disease is complicated and ultimately devastating to those who live with the disease. As it gradually progresses, it impacts not just the individuals affected, but also their families and friends. Further, today Alzheimer‟s disease remains fatal. But, the late manifestation of the disease no longer represents the whole picture of how people with Alzheimer‟s are affected.

This report brings a much needed perspective that highlights the
experience of those that have not yet progressed to the point of requiring comprehensive care services. Rather, they retain many of their capabilities, seek to remain as independent as possible and contribute to the world around them. People in the early stage of dementia seek to partner with others to express themselves and to remain the people they have always been, despite their condition.

A first step to better understand the unique needs of people with early-stage dementia has been taken through this nationwide discussion of Alzheimer‟s by people with Alzheimer‟s. Going forward, there is a shared responsibility -- for people with or without the disease -- to preserve humanity and work toward a world that welcomes the contributions of people living with Alzheimer‟s disease.

More
Early-stage Alzheimer's patients 'don't want to be stigmatized'

Original content Alzheimer's Reading Room

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Small Behavioral Changes Could be an Early Sign of Alzheimer's (Dementia)

Looking back, there is little doubt in my mind that if I had had the proper education or information I would have realized my mother was suffering from dementia sooner. Most people like me tend to ignore the symptoms at first believing they are simply signs of "old age". Anyone who ends up in my shoes knows and understands that a person in the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s can function with some normality--even drive a car. It is not until they deteriorate or until some "event" takes place that we wake up to reality.

The basic underlying premise of the article on the next page is that behavior changes slowly in the elderly and if they begin to suffer cognitive impairment it will be evidenced in behavioral changes. Sometimes these changes can be quite subtle but if detected could raise a “red flag”.

If my mother had been enrolled in any of these studies I feel certain she would have been diagnosed with dementia sooner. This would have allowed me to get her in an exercise program, get her proper nutrition, and insure that she was taking her medicines as prescribed. I learned in the last five years how important these three factors are in the quality of her life.

The woman in the picture is my mother then 91 years old. She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. I am her CareGiver.

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Sensors could help catch first signs of dementia
Monitors and online tests track subtle changes in daily mobility, behavior

Source Associated Press and MSNBC

Tiny motion sensors are attached to the walls, doorways and even the refrigerator of Elaine Bloomquist’s home, tracking the seemingly healthy 86-year-old’s daily activity.

It’s like spying in the name of science — with her permission — to see if round-the-clock tracking of elderly people’s movements can provide early clues of impending Alzheimer’s disease.

“Now it takes years to determine if someone’s developing dementia,” laments Dr. Jeffrey Kaye of Oregon Health & Science University, which is placing the monitors in 300 homes of Portland-area octogenarians as part of a $7 million federally funded project.

The goal: Shave off that time by spotting subtle changes in mobility and behavior that Alzheimer’s specialists are convinced precede the disease’s telltale memory loss.

Simple early signs

Early predictors may be as simple as variations in speed while people walk their hallways, or getting slower at dressing or typing. Also under study are in-home interactive “kiosks” that administer monthly memory and cognition tests, computer keyboards bugged to track typing speed, and pill boxes that record when seniors forget to take their medicines.

More than 5 million Americans, and 26 million people worldwide, have Alzheimer’s, and cases are projected to skyrocket as the population ages. Today’s medications only temporarily alleviate symptoms. Researchers are desperately hunting new ones that might at least slow the relentless brain decay if taken very early in the disease, before serious memory problems become obvious.

So dozens of early diagnosis methods also are under study, from tests of blood and spinal fluid to MRI scans of people’s brains. Even if some pan out, they’re expensive tests that would require lots of doctor intervention, when getting someone to visit a physician for suspicion of dementia is a huge hurdle. And during routine checkups, even doctors easily can miss the signs.

Bloomquist, of Milwaukie, Ore., knows the conundrum all too well. She volunteered for Kaye’s research because her husband died of Alzheimer’s, as did his parents and her own mother.

“It’s hard to know when people begin Alzheimer’s,” she reflects. “Alzheimer people do very well socially for short periods of time. If it’s just a casual conversation, they rise to the occasion.”

‘Typical’ days monitored

Measuring how people fare at home — on bad days as well as good ones, not just when they’re doing their best for the doctor — may spot changes that signal someone’s at high risk long before they’re actually demented, Kaye told the Alzheimer’s Association’s international dementia-prevention meeting last week.

“If you only assess them every once-in-a-blue-moon, you really are at a loss to know what they are like on a typical day,” Kaye explains.

High-tech monitors under study:

Researchers at New York’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine are heading a study that ultimately plans to recruit 600 people over age 75 to help test in-home “kiosks” that turn on automatically to administer monthly cognitive exams. A video of a smiling scientist appears on-screen to talk participants through such classic tests as reading a string of words and then, minutes later, repeating how many they recall, or seeing how quickly they complete connect-the-dot patterns.
An Oregon pilot study of the motion sensors tracked 14 participants in their upper 80s for almost a year. Half had “mild cognitive impairment,” an Alzheimer’s precursor, and half were healthy. Impaired participants showed much greater variation in such day-to-day activities as walking speed, especially in the afternoons.

Why? The theory is that as Alzheimer’s begins destroying brain cells, signals to nerves may become inconsistent — like static on a radio — well before memories become irretrievable. One day, signals to walk fire fine. The next, those signals are fuzzy and people hesitate, creating wildly varying activity patterns.

Study receives unique grant

The pilot study prompted a first-of-its-kind grant from the National Institutes of Health to extend the monitoring study to 300 homes; 112 are being monitored already, mostly in retirement communities like Bloomquist’s. They’re given weekly health questionnaires to make sure an injury or other illness that affects activity doesn’t skew the results.

In addition, participants receive computer training so they can play brain-targeted computer games and take online memory and cognition tests. The keyboards are rigged to let researchers track changes in typing speed and Internet use that could indicate confusion.

Finally, a souped-up pill dispenser called the MedTracker is added to some of the studies, wirelessly recording when drugs are forgotten or taken late.
Electronics giants already sell various medical warning technologies for the elderly, including dementia patients, such as pill boxes that sound reminder alarms at dose time. And the Alzheimer’s Association and Intel Corp. are jointly funding research into how to use television, cell phones and other everyday technology to do such things as guide dementia patients through daily activities.

The next step of companies selling early symptom monitoring isn’t far off, and unbiased data on what really helps will be crucial, Kaye warns.

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease and Memory Loss in Later Life

Zookeeper feeds baby squirrel in Bulgaria

I know its off track but I couldn't' resist.

clipped from blogs.usatoday.com

Fruit Juices Hamper Drugs’ Benefits

This is good information and should be read if you are taking prescribed medications.

Washing down your medicine with fruit juice may be a bad idea.

You may have heard that grapefruit juice can increase the absorption of certain drugs and potentially turn normal doses into toxic ones. Now, the scientist who first identified this problem finds grapefruit and other common fruit juices can do the opposite – significantly decrease the absorption of drugs, potentially canceling out the benefits of lifesaving medications, such as those that treat heart disease, cancer, organ-transplant rejection, and infection.

In the new study, David G. Bailey, Ph.D. and researchers at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario had healthy volunteers take the antihistamine, fexofenadine. Participants took the drug with either a single glass of grapefruit juice, water alone, or water with naringin – a substance in grapefruit juice that gives it that bitter taste.
Results show when fexofenadine was taken with grapefruit juice, only half of the drug was absorbed compared to when it was taken with water alone.

Other findings: grapefruit, orange and apple juices have been shown to lower the absorption of the anticancer drug, etoposide; some beta blockers (atenolol, celiprolol, talinolol) that treat high blood pressure and prevent heart attacks; cyclosporine, a drug that prevents the rejection of transplanted organs; and certain antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, itraconazole).

Bailey says more drugs are likely to be added to the list as physicians become more aware of this drug-lowering interaction.

He advises patients to talk to their doctor or pharmacist before taking any medications with grapefruit juice or other fruits and juices.

SOURCE: 236th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 17-21, 2008

Reducing and Controlling CareGiver Stress

After reading list after list of tips to reduce caregiver stress I decided to write my own. I find it is a good idea to refer to the list often. It is easier said then done so it helps to read the list often for reinforcement.

• Don’t take on more responsibility than you can handle. Learn to ask for help when you need it. Consider putting together a team of friends and relatives to share the burden. Don't go it alone.
  

• You need to find ways to relax and reduce stress. Consider trying: meditation, visualizing comforting or pleasant scenes, listening to music, reading, or playing games on a computer.

• Learn to make lists so you can get to the more important tasks first. Focus on one thing at a time. If you start to feel overwhelmed learn how to pass off tasks to others when they ask, "how can I help". Remember to compliment, or even congratulate, yourself when you accomplish an important task.

• Pay close attention to your own health. Eating nutritious meals and exercising are a must. Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Take care of yourself.

• You need to carve out time to do things that you enjoy. This is not only necessary for your own well-being, it will make you more effective in your caregiving effort.

• You need family, friends and loved one's you can talk to about your frustrations and successes. You need to let it come out. Learn to identify people that will willingly listen. And, I mean LISTEN.

• One of the most difficult things to do is to get educated. You can never know enough about your loved one's condition. You never know when you are going to learn something that can make a big difference. Information is empowering and brings with it the feeling that you are taking control; rather then, being controlled by an illness or the situation. Learning something new that improves your caregiving is very rewarding and empowering.

• Join a support group. In a good support group you will learn valuable lessons, get new ideas, and tips that can really make a difference. In a good support group you get to "vent" with real people that understand where you are "coming from". Most importantly, in a good support group you will learn over and over "you are not alone".

• Make sure you see your own doctor. Watch out for feelings of stress. Talk to your doctor about stress and stress reduction methods.

• Search your community for resources that are available to you. Is their a good senior center available? If so, schedule an appointment to talk with them. If you have never heard of this dial 2-1-1. If this service is available in your area they have groups of trained professionals that can get you direct to the resources you need. It's free.


• Don't hesitate to contact your local university wellness center. You might be surprised to learn that most Universities are a wealth of information and services. They might be conducting research or studies that could be beneficial to you.

Consider subscribing to our mailing list or adding The Care Giver to your feed Reader. It makes it a lot easier for me to write articles like the one you just read or supply important information when I know people care.

rember and TauRx Therapeutics

I am getting emails asking me about rember. People want to know more about the drug and the phase 3 clinical trial. They are also asking how they can contact the company direct.

To learn more about the drug and get answers to your question use this link:

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) about TauRx Therapeutics and rember™


To contact the company use this link:

TauRx Therapeutics Ltd & University of Aberdeen - New treatment halts progress of Alzheimer's disease

Medicare Drug Benefit Premiums Rise, but Less Than Expected

clipped from blogs.wsj.com The average premium Medicare beneficiaries pay for prescription drug coverage will rise 12% next year — though in real terms that’s only three bucks a month more than they’re already paying. Based on bids from the private insurers who provide the Medicare Part D benefit, the feds said yesterday that the average premium next year would be $28 a month. (UnitedHealth, Humana and Cigna are among those providing the plans, Bloomberg notes.) The rise is due largely to people taking more medicines, and to the rising cost of drugs, the Associated Press says. It’s worth noting that many of the most expensive drugs on the market now, such as some cancer treatments given via infusion, are covered by a different Medicare benefit, so the high cost of those drugs doesn’t figure into the Part D premiums.

Case Western Reserve University study finds caregivers of spouses with dementia enjoy life less

For me, I had to put my life on hold when I decided to take reponsibilty for my mother who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. After five years I still find great emotional reward in caring for her. However, I meet other caregivers that are clearly suffering from the experience.

Adams suggested that caregivers might benefit from support groups that "normalize" the emotions that surface while watching the dementia of their loved ones worsen. They can also be taught caregiving and decision making skills and given "permission" to increase pleasurable activities and engage in self-care.

Spouses of husbands and wives with dementia pay an emotional toll as they care for their ailing spouse. This has prompted a call for new interventions and strategies to assist caregivers in coping with the demands of this difficult time, according to a study from Case Western Reserve University's Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.

"Caregivers have a long exposure to stresses and losses from the dementia and fatigue that comes from caring for their spouses, so they experience fewer positive emotions," said Kathryn Betts Adams, assistant professor of social work at the Mandel School. "Some may have feelings of guilt about participating in activities with friends or in the community when their loved ones are no longer able to do so."

Adams added that caregivers also report sadness and loneliness.

While prior studies have shown that caregiving can be a factor in diagnosing depression, Adams analyzed data from spouse caregivers and compared their responses to non-caregivers at the symptom level to determine which symptoms were especially common.

Findings from the research study of 391 caregivers and 226 non-caregivers from the Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Alzheimer's Disease Research Center are described in the Journal of International Psychogeriatrics article, "Specific Effects of Caring for a Spouse with Dementia: Differences in Depressive Symptoms between Caregiver and Non-Caregiver Spouses."

After factoring out age, gender, education and income levels and race, some 25 percent of caregivers suffered from depression in contrast to only five percent of non-caregivers studied, said Adams. The caregivers were most notably different from the non-caregivers in their lack of positive emotions such as happiness or hopefulness.

The study's participants resided with their spouses. Of the spouses with dementia, approximately half had mild dementia, with 37 percent in stages of moderate to severe dementia. Only 23 percent of those questioned did not feel burdened by the responsibilities of caring for their spouses, but the remaining spouses reported feeling mildly to severely burdened.

Adams suggested that caregivers might benefit from support groups that "normalize" the emotions that surface while watching the dementia of their loved ones worsen. They can also be taught caregiving and decision making skills and given "permission" to increase pleasurable activities and engage in self-care.

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Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for news, advice, and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob has written more than 950 articles with more than 8,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

The Caregiver Knowledge and Skills Project

If you are located in the Cleveland area this should be of interest to you.

Are you providing care at home for your family member with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia?

The Caregiver Knowledge and Skills Project is a research study being conducted by The University Memory and Aging Center of Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center.

The goal of the study is to learn how best to help family members of persons with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia increase their knowledge and skills related to caregiving.

Participating caregivers will:

· take part with other family caregivers in a series of workshop sessions designed to help caregivers develop new knowledge and skills, and in a follow-up program designed to extend and enhance the benefits of the workshop; and

· answer questions periodically about their well being, their experiences with and attitudes toward caregiving, and their opinions about the project.

There are no costs for participation in the study.

To learn more, please call Nancy at 216-844-6357




The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease and Memory Loss in Later Life

Cancer Patient: Hit the Gym

Wendy Rahn, 46, an associate professor of political science at the University of Minnesota, knows this well. After a double mastectomy, her shoulders hurt so much that she was often hunched in pain. Then, while researching her illness, she discovered a 2005 study on cancer and exercise.

“The effects — what we call effect sizes in statistical research — were enormous,” she said, “and I was like ‘How come no one is talking about this?’ ” She had given up exercise a decade earlier, but the study inspired her to go back to the gym.

“I started feeling so much better,” she said. “And it struck me that if I’m feeling this good, then every cancer survivor should.”

clipped from www.nytimes.com Sponsored by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, this class for cancer patients has been around for some time, mostly in a league by itself. in recent years, following studies that found exercise to be beneficial in combating the effects of cancer, the class has gained some company. Gyms and fitness centers have begun stepping in to meet a small but growing demand for programs designed to not only hasten recovery but to address the fatigue of chemotherapy, the swelling of lymphedema and the loss of muscle tone. A new program from the Y.M.C.A., in partnership with the Lance Armstrong Foundation, offers cancer fitness classes “There used to be this understanding that if you’re getting treatment you’re supposed to be in your bed,” said Pam Whitehead, an architect and survivor of uterine cancer who started the Triumph Fitness Program at gyms in Modesto and West Sacramento, Calif.

Free Online Publications about Alzheimer's Disease and Caregiving

clipped from www.niapublications.org Acute Hospitalization and Alzheimer's Disease AD: A Caregiver and Patient Resource List Caregiver Guide: Tips for AD Caregivers Caregiving Basics: A Resource List

Tell the next U.S. President to make Alzheimer's a priority

clipped from alzheimersreadingroom.blogspot.com On January 20, 2009 - just a little more than five months from now - a new President of the United States will take office. No matter who you want to win the election, as supporters of the Alzheimer's Association, there is one thing on which we all agree: the next president must make the United States the world leader in Alzheimer care and research! That's why, as part of our advocacy and awareness initiatives for World Alzheimer's Day, we're asking caring and compassionate individuals like you to sign the Alzheimer's Association Proclamation to the next President! Make your voice heard in support of more Alzheimer care and research! We need at least 50,000 signatures to be delivered to the new president in January! Inauguration Day may seem far away, but we don't have any time to waste. We need to build a constituency to gather 50,000 signatures and impress the new president! Please sign the Proclamation to the Next President now.

Caregiving Resources

Family Caregiver Alliance. Offers tips on a wide range of topics, including how to hire help, hold a family meeting, balance work and caregiving, find important papers, and decide whether parents should move in with an adult child.

National Alliance for Caregiving. Reviews of more than 1,000 books, videos, Web sites and links.

National Family Caregivers Association. Provides statistics, research and policy reports, tip sheets, first-person accounts, a newsletter and an exhaustive resource list.

Family Caregiving 101. A separate "how-to" site by the NFCA with advice on time management, asking for help, navigating the health care maze and communicating with insurance companies and hospitals.

MetLife Mature Market Institute. Reports from a research arm of the insurance company on the price of assisted living, the strains of long-distance caregiving, and the cost to employers of baby boomer employees involved in eldercare.

Strength for Caring. A site for family caregivers from Johnson & Johnson with original articles written by experts and how-to materials.

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease and Memory Loss in Later Life

FAQ TauRx Therapeutics and rember™

There is a lot of buzz right now about rember. People want to know more about rember, how it works, and when it might become available. We answer these frequently asked questions on the next page.

New research findings point to a new treatment that appears to slow the progress of Alzheimer's by 81% over a year. The product - remberTM - is the first drug to act to arrest the progression of Alzheimer's disease by targeting the tangles which are highly correlated with the disease.

What is rember and how is it supposed to work?

rember is a new version of an existing chemical substance, but modified especially to be used as a drug for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s. The chemical, called MTC, has been used in the past to treat urinary tract infections and other conditions.

TauRx Therapeutics Ltd have claimed that rember acts by 'disrupting and dissolving' the abnormal build-up of Tau protein in brain cells, thus breaking down (and possibly preventing) tangles.

How is rember different from existing drugs for Alzheimer's disease?

Existing drugs for Alzheimer's disease, such as Aricept, work to lessen the symptoms of the illness. These drugs prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical which carries messages between brain cells. This means that there is more acetylcholine available to transmit messages. This may temporarily improve or stabilise the symptoms of the disease. However, these drugs do nothing to stop the death of the nerve cells in the long run, so they will not bring a permanent cure.

It is claimed that rember could prevent the death of nerve cells.
Is rember a cure for Alzheimer's Disease?

While very promising results have been given following the Phase 2 trial of rember, it is important to consider the following details:

* these results are from a trial of 321 people, from Aberdeen, Birmingham and Singapore, over a period of less than 2 years;

* a Phase 3 trial, with far more particpants and on a global scale, must now take place and its results will ultimately determine the success of the treatment;

* the findings of the Phase 2 trial are yet to be published in an academic journal, which would allow other scientists to replicate the testing in order to see if the same results occured;

* potential side-effects (especially after long-term use) and varying individual reponses to the treatment could take many more years, perhaps decades, to determine.

Results so far are promising, but we must wait until the end of the testing phase (which could take between 3-4 years) before we truly know how effective rember is.

Will rember work for other types of dementia?

As far as we are aware, rember has only been designed for, and tested on, Alzheimer's disease. However, TauRx says that they hope rember may also help in Parkinson’s disease, as similar protein fibres similar to tau protein (synuclein fibres) are found in the brain cells of people with Parkinson’s disease. They are planning a separate trial to see if it is effective.

Can I get rember from my family physician?

rember is still at trial stage and TauRx Therapeutics Ltd have stated that any licensing of the drug is unlikely prior to 2012.

Can I buy rember over the internet?

It can be extremely dangerous to buy any drug over the internet or from other sources. rember is still being developed and tested: this potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease cannot be purchased online.

How can I get involved in the rember Phase 3 trial?

Right now the Phase 3 clinical trial has not been scheduled. We will continue to monitor the situation at the Alzheimer's Reading Room and keep you posted.

When will rember be available on prescription?

If the trials are successful and the drug is licensed, the earliest it is likely to be available is 2012.

TauRx Therapeutics Ltd & University of Aberdeen - New treatment halts progress of Alzheimer's disease

Do you have the Silver Alert Program in your state? Probably not.

I just finished reading an interesting article on The New Old Age blog. The story, When Mom Goes Missing, is about 86 year old Mary Gill Zelter who suffered from the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer's and went missing. Mrs. Zelter, body was found in her submerged car by two fishermen in the Intracoastal Waterway off Clearwater Beach. She apparently mistook a boat ramp for a continuation of the road and drove to her death.

This article points out the need for a national Silver Alert program. Right now only ten states have the program. Sadly, Florida is not one of these state. If you are concerned about this you should consider writing to your state representative and attaching this article or the article from The New Old Age.

I encourage you to read when Mom Goes Missing to learn more about the Silver Alert program and the growing problem with wandering seniors.




The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease and Memory Loss in Later Life

Special Reminder: PBS Presents The Future of Alzheimer's

PBS will present a special evening of programming focused on Alzheimer's disease on Sunday, August 3 starting at 9 p.m.

The programming starts with a national encore broadcast of the Emmy-Award-winning THE FORGETTING: A Portrait of Alzheimer's, followed by a new half-hour discussion, The Future of Alzheimer's, moderated by actor and Alzheimer's champion David Hyde Pierce.