Swillklitch / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Alzheimer’s disease starts forming in the brains of unsuspecting individuals about 20 years before traditional telltale signs become noticeable. No cure exists for the progressive, fatal disease, but St. Louis medical researchers are studying tools and potential drugs that can detect and treat Alzheimer’s in its early stages.
“The tests are getting better and better,” says Dr. Suzanne E. Schindler, a neurologist and Alzheimer’s specialist with Washington University School of Medicine. A blood test developed at Wash. U., for example, can assess whether amyloid plaques are accumulating in a patient’s brain. An alternative to more expensive PET brain scans and invasive spinal taps, the test has proven accurate in detecting early signs of the disease.
As Alzheimer’s progresses, it disrupts processes that are vital to the brain’s neurons and networks, including communication and metabolism. Washington University researchers are studying how a mathematical analysis of data obtained from a new magnetic resonance imaging technique can reveal the extent of neuron damage.
Research at Wash. U. includes a clinical trial aimed at preventing Alzheimer’s in people who are more genetically susceptible to develop the illness at a young age. It will study whether an investigational antibody can slow or stop the disease.
At Saint Louis University, research is underway that involves deep-brain stimulation and whether a brain pacemaker can slow the decline of problem-solving and decision-making skills in early-stage Alzheimer’s, according to Dr. George Grossberg, director of geriatric psychiatry at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and a SLUCare physician. SLU researchers are also studying how treating sleep apnea in Alzheimer’s patients might improve cognitive functioning, Grossberg says.
Diagnosing Alzheimer’s often includes bloodwork and other tests, as well as conversations with patients. Finding the right words, however, can sometimes be difficult for patients, so SLU is studying how using picture cards with familiar objects and activities might aid such conversations and in turn, help health care providers ascertain a patient’s stage of Alzheimer’s.
Likewise, researchers are studying better screening questions for depression in Alzheimer’s patients, Grossberg adds, noting that treatment of depression—common in people with Alzheimer’s—can improve quality of life for patients and their caregivers.
Having a first-degree relative with Alzheimer’s and advancing age increases the risk of being diagnosed with the disease. Research suggests such steps as adopting a heart-healthy diet, reducing stress, exercising, and getting a good night’s rest can reduce risk by up to 40 percent. “They involve lifestyle modifications and approaches that work to minimize cardiovascular risk factors,” says Grossberg. “What’s good for the heart is good for the brain.”
About 5.8 million Americans—including an estimated 120,000 Missourians—have Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, which is raising awareness about the lack of diversity in Alzheimer’s research and the impact it can have on early detection and treatment in marginalized communities. A Washington University study, for instance, found that three experimental blood tests used to identify patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s performed differently in Black individuals compared to white individuals, but a fourth blood test was equally effective at detecting early Alzheimer’s regardless of the race of the person being tested. New grants will support efforts to recruit more Black Americans and people of color for Alzheimer’s research and to investigate risk factors.
Schindler believes that a blood test for Alzheimer’s could eventually become a standard health-screening tool. If results indicate a risk, then the person could one day receive a drug to prevent or slow the onset of symptoms, says Schindler, who described the promise of biomarkers to the American Brain Foundation: “Biomarkers are just really an incredible tool. We’ve been trying to develop effective therapies for Alzheimer’s disease for a long time. I think a big reason we weren’t successful is we didn’t have good biomarkers, but now, I think we do.”
