Author: Ivanhoe Newswire, News 14 Carolina
Alzheimer's Advance
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (November 8, 2006) - Music is always on to keep the mood up at Joe and Palmina Beato's house. Palmina has Alzheimer's and is very aware of what she's losing. "I used to do everything," she said.
Joseph added, "She is a very good woman."
"I used to do everything," Palmina repeated.
After 52 years together, the diagnosis is tough on the couple. "I don't want to lose my wife," Joseph said. "That's the thing."
Alzheimer's disease affects nearly five million people in the United States. Many medications treat the symptoms of the disease, but have not been able to affect the underlying causes.
Palmina is now in a study on the drug valproate to test its effect on agitation.
"About 50 percent of people who have dementia or Alzheimer's disease do develop agitation at some point," Saleem Ismail, M.D., a geriatric psychiatrist at University of Rochester in New York, explained. But what he and fellow researchers are hopeful of is the drug's potential to protect brain cells ravaged by the disease.
"If valproate works the way we think it works, it would actually protect the cell from dying," Dr. Ismail said.
The drug valproate is already FDA-approved for epilepsy, migraines and bipolar disorder, but it is still under study for its use in Alzheimer's patients. There are different theories as to how the drug actually works. Studies continue to uncover how much protection the drug actually offers.
Palmina doesn't know if she got the drug or a placebo, but Joseph says she didn't get worse.
"To me, that is an improvement right there," he continued. The ongoing research gives them hope. "Because you always think ... some day, it's going to be better," he adds. And that's enough to keep the music on and their spirits up.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study
http://adcs.ucsd.edu/Valproate_SiteList.htm
Research Summary
BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder with no known cause or cure. According to the American Health Assistance Foundation, more than 4.5 million Americans are thought to have Alzheimer's disease. By 2050, that number could increase to 13.2 million. Worldwide, statistics suggest there are currently 18 million people with Alzheimer's disease. By 2025, that number is expected to nearly double to 34 million people.
SYMPTOMS: Symptoms include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, personality changes, disorientation, and loss of language skills. Aggression is one of the most common behaviors people with Alzheimer's disease. Saleem Ismail, M.D., from the University of Rochester says 50 percent of people with Alzheimer's develop aggression at some point in the disease.
TARGETING AGGRESSION: Researchers are testing an old drug to delay the onset of aggression in people with Alzheimer's disease. The drug, valproate, is already FDA-approved for epilepsy, migraine headaches and bipolar disorder. The study, led by researchers at the University of Rochester (National Institutes of Aging sponsored study), is looking at whether the drug delays the onset the agitation common with Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies have shown valproate does provide a beneficial effect for agitation in some, though not all, patients.
PROMISING FINDINGS: Researchers are excited by more than valproate's effects on agitation. They say the drug may actually help protect the brain. Dr. Ismail explains, "[Valproate] can actually modify what is happening at the cellular level. We are hoping that it actually protects the cell from being stressed out or being damaged. If those cells could be preserved longer, that would translate into meaningful outcomes."
The study is the first of its kind to study a drug that could block one of the hallmarks of AD -- "tangles." Tangles are abnormal brain tissue structures formed by abnormal processing of a protein called tau. In healthy people, tau is critical for intracellular functioning and structure. In patients with Alzheimer's disease, stringy clusters of tau and phosphate molecules form. This leads to an impairment of the cells' ability to transport material within the cell. When the cell does not function the way it should it cannot communicate efficiently with other cells. Eventually, this process leads to cell death. Dr. Ismail says, "This is just one aspect of what we think is valproate's potential to work. More recently, there has been evidence that it works [another way]." He says the drug also probably works on the clearance and production of amyloid. Amyloid plaques are found outside the neurons, and neurofibrillary plaques are found inside the neurons. Neurons are the nerve cells within the brain. These plaques are found in large amounts in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Ismail is hopeful that valproate will offer new hope. "It's very exciting. Scientifically, it is novel. The theory behind it is very impressive, and the good thing about it is that the evidence is growing."
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