Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Discoveries That Could Change Brain Health Forever

Are you caring for a loved one with dementia? You don't have to figure this out all on your own. Welcome to Truth, Lies Alzheimer's, the show that helps you reimagine a new relationship with your loved one, a relationship a little more free of stress and anxiety. Join host Lisa Skinner and her 30+ years of experience as she guides you on a new path to a better relationship with those you care for. Here's Lisa.

Welcome back, everybody. I have prepared another brand new episode for you today of the Truth, Lies Alzheimer's Show. And I am, of course, Lisa Skinner, your host. I'm so glad you could join me. Today I am giving everybody an update on the most current breakthrough discoveries around Alzheimer's disease. They change on a dime, so I always try to keep up with everything that's, that's, you know, updated and new. So here we go. Of the 57 million people living with dementia worldwide, 60 to 70% are thought to have Alzheimer's disease. Now remember, there are over 100 of these brain diseases that we know of today. This is just Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer's disease is one of the brain disorders characterized by the slow erosion of a person's memory and their thinking skills. It is the 6th leading cause of death in the US, but it's the leading cause of death in the elderly population in the UK, in Finland, in the Netherlands, and Australia. And while lifestyle changes and medications can help ease symptoms. Unfortunately, there is still no cure. And with the number of people expected to develop dementia, which is 150 million people by the year 2050, the pressure is on to find a solution to this debilitating and devastating disease. In recent years, however, a number of breakthrough discoveries around Alzheimer's in particular have provided some hope, and I'm gonna share 8 of them with you now. Number 1, there's actually now an ADHD link. Yes, a new study has found a possible link between the brain makeup of people with ADHD and that of old age-related dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. Using a combination of MRI brain imaging and blood tests, the researchers at the University of Geneva compared 32 adults with ADHD to 29 adults without ADHD, and in both cases, They were aged between 25 and 45 years. And what they found was that the ADHD adults had more iron in certain regions of their brain, along with higher levels of neurofilaments in their blood. Both of which are markers for dementia and Alzheimer's disease. And while it was a small case study, yes, nevertheless it paves the way for further research to determine if a reduction of iron levels in the brain of a person with ADHD could possibly reduce the likelihood of developing dementia like Alzheimer's disease down the line. Number 2, and we know this already, but there's an update: women are more susceptible to the disease. Yes, more women do live with Alzheimer's disease and dementia than men. While it's long been known that more women than men develop dementia, and in the case of Alzheimer's, two-thirds are women. The reasons why continue to be debated. For many years, it's mainly been put down to the fact that on average women live longer than men. That's one of the theories. So there will inevitably be a higher number of female impacted. But recent research has pinpointed the menopause as a potential culprit. Close to two-thirds of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women experience memory issues. That's surprising. And that's reported by Nature Medicine. The decline in estrogen levels during this period can result in the female brain starting to consume its own tissue, according to scientist Roberta Brinton. While another study primarily using U.S. data found that synaptic dysfunction and elevated tau, which are toxin proteins that are found in the brain, were more prevalent in menopausal women who were not on hormone therapy such as an HRT. All of which contributes to cognitive decline and incites and exacerbates Alzheimer's disease progression. And this is a quote from the study's authors. This is what was revealed in their findings. They point out that interventions, quote, addressing both hormonal factors and synaptic health, end quote, could potentially help stave off Alzheimer's disease in women. Number 3, breakthrough drugs have been updated. So last year we saw the first drugs entered the market to tackle Alzheimer's disease. Donanemab, and Lecanemab both block harmful proteins in the brain and can slow decline by around 30%, so we thought. And that was— that statistic was reported by The Guardian. Now, the Alzheimer's Society found that the drugs could slow down disease progression by 60% if given at an early stage. However, other research was less positive, with a UK trial of lecanemab finding that patients were better off only by 0.45 points on an 18-point scale. That's not very encouraging. And they are also currently very expensive, around $27,000 to $34,000 a year for each patient, according to The Guardian. And the UK's National Health Service has recently announced that it won't be offering them to patients. Despite these setbacks, the drugs represent a huge leap forward for Alzheimer's treatment. There are over 120 drugs for Alzheimer's currently at the trial stage. So the possibility of finding a cure is not totally out of our reach. Number 4: new tests for Alzheimer's that are available. In the US, there is a new blood test that's been approved by the FDA to help identify Alzheimer's in its earliest stages. And until now, the only diagnostic option has been an expensive PET brain scan or an invasive lumbar puncture test. But now anyone over the age of 55 who is exhibiting Alzheimer's symptoms can get a blood test to establish if any amyloid plaques, which are key markers of the disease, are present. In clinical studies, the blood tests correctly identified the presence of these amyloid plaques in over 91% of cases, with clinicians making the final call as to whether Alzheimer's was the cause. Alzheimer's disease impacts too many people, more than breast cancer and more than prostate cancer combined. That's a quote from the FDA Commissioner Martin A. Macri that he said in a press release. He also said that knowing that 10% of people aged 65 and older have Alzheimer's disease and that by the year 2050 that number is expected to nearly triple, he's hopeful that new medical products such as this one will help patients. There's also been a recent UK breakthrough in testing for Alzheimer's risk. Scientists at the University of Bath have developed a 3-minute at-home memory test called Fastball, and it uses a form of the electroencephalogram, an EEG, to record brain activity as a person watches a stream of images. Some of which are repeated, and the test is designed to detect amnestic mild cognitive impairment. That's one of the two types of MCI and, um, also regarded as a specific type of memory issue that can indicate a higher risk of developing the disease. Now, while it's not predictive of Alzheimer's disease on its Ome, if validated in larger trials, it could help identify patients most likely to benefit from new treatments. Number 5, this one's kind of interesting. Herpes and Alzheimer's disease. Perhaps surprisingly, scientists have discovered a link. Between herpes simplex virus type 1, the virus that causes cold sores, and the development of Alzheimer's disease. That virus often lies dormant and undetected in the body's nervous system and can trigger the aforementioned amyloid plaques, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. In test cases involving over 344,000 older adults with Alzheimer's disease and controls without Alzheimer's disease, researchers found that 0.44% of adults with Alzheimer's disease had also previously had the herpes HSV-1, against a 0.24% of the control group. Now, while the percentages are small, the percentage difference is actually significant with an 80% increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease when, when HSV-1 has been present. Notably, if the adult had received antiviral treatment for their HSV-1 virus, the Alzheimer's risk, risk was then reduced by 17%. The results place an even greater emphasis on viewing the prevention of herpesviruses as a public health priority. And this is, um, stated by the study's authors. The sixth breakthrough is that AI can predict Alzheimer's. Okay, what's that one about? Two studies, one in the US and one in the UK, have demonstrated how artificial intelligence, or AI, can successfully predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at the University of California created a machine learning model that can predict the disease up to 7 years before any symptoms appear. The machine was accurate up to 72% of the time, reports the Alzheimer's Research Association. And also identified different risk factors for men and women, such as cholesterol, hypertension, and vitamin D, that insufficiently registered as predictors of Alzheimer's in both genders. Osteoporosis was a specific predictor for women. While erectile dysfunction and an enlarged prostate were indicators of susceptibility for, for dementia. Meanwhile, at the University of Cambridge, another machine learning model is capable of predicting the speed at which a person with mild cognitive impairment will develop Alzheimer's disease and which people are likely to remain stable. Stable. Researchers found 81% accuracy in these findings, making it more precise than current clinical diagnosis. And this, says Professor Zoe Cortese, has the potential to significantly improve patient well-being showing us which people need closest care while removing the anxiety for those patients that they will predict will remain stable. He was one of the study's senior authors. He also tells us that at a time of intense pressure on healthcare resources, this will also help remove the need for unnecessary invasive and costly diagnostic tests. AI is also helping those currently living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia, as this video shows. Number 7: Is the immune system to blame? Scientists are actually exploring the possibility that Alzheimer's is at least partly caused by the immune system trying but failing to fix damage to the brain. Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in the US discovered that an immune molecule called STING is responsible for the plaques and tangles that contribute to Alzheimer's disease. But by blocking that molecule, mental decline is avoided at least in the case of lab mice. What's more, the discovery could be key to stopping cognitive decline in other neurodegenerative diseases as well, such as motor neuron disease and Parkinson's disease, according to these researchers. Why it's— while it's still very early for this intervention, The potential is now there for future treatments that target this particular module. And then the last one is how implants could help future solutions include implants in the brain to correct faulty signals. InBrain, one of the World Economic Forum's 2024 5 technology pioneers has developed an ultra-thin graphene implant that can detect neural signals and also send out electrical pulses to stimulate a targeted response. It's initially being used— you might have heard of it, it was actually on 60 Minutes to help people with Parkinson's disease. But once it was established in this field, or once it becomes established in this field, the plan is to develop it further for conditions including Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. Advances in Alzheimer's and dementia research. As the nation's biomedical research Agency, NIH, the National Institutes of Health, supports research ranging from basic biology to drug development and from clinical studies to evaluating public health outcomes. Within the past several decades, researchers have made great strides towards better understanding what causes Alzheimer's and related dementia. And discovering approaches that may prevent, diagnose, and treat them. Some highlights of these efforts include drug discovery and drug repurposing. Thanks to the substantial investment in Alzheimer's and related dementia research over the past decade, NIH has increased drug discovery significantly. And of the many compounds in NIH-supported drug development programs for Alzheimer's and dementia, 18 new dementia drug candidates have now matured through the pipeline—yay—from discovery in the lab all the way through preclinical development to reach the stage of human Testing. NIH currently supports more than 60 clinical trial testing drug candidates that target many different aspects of these diseases. Several of these drug candidates are intended to stop or slow the disease process rather than only treat the symptoms. For example, some target amyloid plaques. Like Lecanumab and Donanumab, and plaques and tau tangles in new ways. But researchers are also exploring multiple ways to repurpose drugs for the potential treatment of dementia, including FDA-approved drugs used to treat epilepsy and diabetes. Early detection and diagnosis. In that category, researchers have made significant progress in developing, testing, and validating biomarkers that detect signs of the disease process. For example, in addition to PET scans that detect abnormal beta amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain, NIH-supported scientists have developed the first commercial blood test for Alzheimer's. This test and others that are in development can not only help support diagnosis but also be used to screen volunteers for other research studies. Other discoveries are leading to the development of potential biomarkers for other brain diseases that cause dementia too. These include the detection of abnormal TDP-43 protein found in frontotemporal dementia and a cerebrospinal fluid test to help diagnose Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's disease. And then researchers are also studying behavioral and social indicators, including problems with paying bills and a combined decline in memory and walking speed that may be early signs of these diseases. Other early markers are also under study, like risk factors, genetics, and disease pathways. NIH's research investments to identify the biological mechanisms that lead to Alzheimer's and dementia are fundamental for the discovery of potential drugs that target them. There are many biological pathways that scientists can target with investigational drugs. For example, several recent studies have further revealed how components of our immune system system, brain inflammation, vascular disease, and possibly viruses and bacteria, including the many tiny organisms that live in the digestive system known as gut microbiome, contribute to the development of these diseases. They're also exploring genetic variations that may contribute to or prevent disease. Recent research has revealed that the genetic risk for Alzheimer's differs between ethnic and racial groups, highlighting the need for more diversity in genetic research studies. They're also discovering genetic variants that may help protect against Alzheimer's. Other studies are identifying the genetic underpinnings of related dementia, including new gene variants linked to the development of Lewy body dementia. Population studies and precision medicine. By studying large, diverse groups of people, researchers are identifying which genes, behaviors, and lifestyle choices are linked with dementia. These studies have shown that sedentary behavior, low socioeconomic status, low level of education, and living in a poor neighborhood may increase our risk of developing dementia. Now, these observational discoveries, along with knowledge of genetic and other factors, can be used to advance the development and treatment in an individualized level. Health disparities in dementia risk. NIH-funded researchers are examining the biological, social, and environmental factors that do contribute to the higher prevalence of dementia in Hispanic Americans, which we know, Black Americans compared with other white Americans. Since dementia is also underdiagnosed in these populations, researchers are studying approaches to improve diagnoses in underserved communities. NIH is also investing in strategies to increase diversity in research study participants. Now, pertaining to lifestyle interventions, Researchers are investigating interventions around exercise, healthy eating, cognitive training, preventive healthcare, and management of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure that, if made early in life, may be able to prevent or delay disease symptoms. We've been talking about this for a long time. Emerging areas of study include interventions to enhance cognitive reserve, which is the mind's ability to cope with the effects of aging, and interventions to potentially compensate for premature cognitive decline and dementia linked to adverse exposures in early life, such as abuse or malnutrition. NIH currently supports more than 150 trials testing behavioral and lifestyle interventions. So wow, that is a lot to take in, but these are all the most current, um, breakthroughs just in the last year that science has uncovered. To helpfully work towards better life and/or a treatment and/or a cure for living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. So that concludes today's episode for the Truth, Lies Alzheimer's show. I'm Lisa Skinner, your host, and as always, I will be back next week with another brand new episode for you. So in the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week. Stay happy and healthy, and I will look forward to having you back next week. Bye for now.

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