William Haley, Ph.D.
In my last report from the Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Symposium, I wrote about research on disclosing a diagnosis of dementia. But what if the diagnosis is MCI, not dementia? Bill Haley, Professor at the School of Aging Studies at the University of South Florida, gave a presentation focusing specifically on this topic. This next report summarizes his presentation on recent USF research in this area.
Alexandra Zaleta and Brian Carpenter, Ph.D.
My last few reports from the Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Symposium were about the symptoms seen in people with MCI and the conditions that may underlie it. These are researchers' views. But what do patients think about MCI?
There were no patients or family members at the Symposium, but two presentations began to deal with that question. The first, by Brian Carpenter, Associate Professor of Psychology at Washington University, was about disclosing a diagnosis of dementia. Dr. Carpenter and his colleagues (including Alexandra Zaleta, a graduate student pictured here with Dr. Carpenter at the MCI Symposium) have been examining how doctors tell patients and families about a diagnosis, and what patients and families hear. You can find details of his presentation in the latest report from the MCI Symposium.
Summary: Axona is Accera’s new product for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. Available in the U.S. by prescription only, Axona is marketed as a medical food. This means it was not subject to FDA pre-market review and approval. Results of the company’s trials of Axona sound promising, but we’ll have to wait for more data to be published to get a better idea how effective the product is.
Suddenly, Axona is everywhere. I heard people talking about it at a local Alzheimer’s educational event last week. There’s an advertisement for it on the back cover of the latest edition of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s magazine, care ADvantage. Accera, the company that developed Axona, is also a silver sponsor of the Alzheimer’s Association’s upcoming ICAD conference.
Axona is designed to address the “hypometabolism,” or reduced use of glucose, seen in some areas of the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. Glucose is the brain’s source of energy. Axona is formulated as a powder, and is mixed with water to make a once-a-day drink.
The product is unique in its approach to Alzheimer’s and in Accera's choice to market it as a “medical food.” I talked last week with Steve Orndorff, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Accera, to get more details.
Continue reading "Axona: A Different Approach to Alzheimer's" »
Some of my readers have a dim view of assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. Their opinions are based on the experiences of friends and relatives. They’re not keen on old age, either.
Dudley Clendinin, in his book A Place Called Canterbury: Tales of the New Old Age in America
Alexander Tröster, Ph.D.
There is a growing recognition that people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease may have cognitive impairment in addition to their physical symptoms. Another report from the Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Symposium covers Dr. Alexander Tröster's presentation on the challenges in considering MCI in someone with Parkinson's.
Brad Boeve, MD
At autopsy, pathologists often find Lewy bodies in the brains of people who had Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). But doctors may be able to tentatively diagnose Lewy body disease in MCI patients when they're still living. Check out a summary of Dr. Brad Boeve's presentation from the Mild Cognitive Impairment Symposium for details.
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) recently launched its Alzheimer’s Prevention web site. The new site, with information on brain health, risk factors and lifestyle choices, expands the AFA’s focus on care to include caring for oneself, says Eric Hall, President and Founding CEO.
Why would an organization focused on care launch a prevention effort? If you look at the numbers and where the scientific research is, Eric says, it makes sense. “We discussed this issue with both presidential campaigns,” he says, “and told each of the candidates that if he served two terms, he could expect 2.5 million more Americans to develop Alzheimer’s during his presidency. That’s in addition to the 5.5 million who have it now. We know we don’t have the infrastructure to care for all these people.”
Ranjan Duara, MD
Last week, researchers gathered in Miami for the 7th Annual Mild Cognitive Impairment Symposium, organized under the direction of Dr. Ranjan Duara, Medical Director at the Wien Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach and Associate Professor of Medicine, Neurology and Psychiatry at the University of Miami.
The first of a series of Tangled Neuron reports on the Symposium covers the keynote speech of Dr. Ron Petersen, Director of the Mayo Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. I’ll be posting more information on this meeting in the next few days.
