Exploring the latest developments in fighting Alzheimer’s

Music for Alzheimers: As Plato once said, ‘Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.’ – Filepic

Researchers are looking at various ways we can fight Alzheimer’s disease.

IT’S a disease that strips the sufferer of his identity and sense of self.

Loved ones and caregivers are forced to helplessly watch as the patient is unwillingly forced on a painful and lonely journey into oblivion.

It’s called Alzheimer’s disease, and experts are still struggling to come up with strategies to effectively treat, or better still, prevent this condition.

Alzheimer’s leads to a deterioration in memory and adversely affects behaviour and the ability to think clearly.

The disease process affects the brain, causing changes to brain cells that lead to dysfunction.

In its initial stages, there’s mild memory impairment and behaviour quirks, but as the disease progresses, major adverse changes are seen in behaviour and physical functioning that would eventually require round the clock care for the affected.

Some of the more recent research developments into the disease include the following:

A potential blood test

Thus far, there’s no definitive test for detecting Alzheimer’s disease.

However, a new study is looking at specific proteins in the blood that could help detect the disease before its onset.

The study was published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

It’s still early days yet, but hopefully, the researchers can find something concrete and finally develop a test.

After all, early detection can help significantly with delaying the onset of the disease.

Potential new treatments

It says something that no new drug has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease since 2003.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom.

A study is now being carried out to evaluate the potential of a drug to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.

Tentatively called T-817MA, investigators are looking at whether the drug can slow down the pace of the disease in this group of sufferers.

In another development, a team from Canada has found that a genetic variant that exists quite frequently in humans, may offer protection against Alzheimer’s, and could even delay the onset of the disease by as much as four years.

This offers new avenues of research to find a new treatment for this disease.

Another study has found that daily consumption of 2,000IUs of vitamin E could slow the cognitive decline experienced by Alzheimer’s sufferers.

In the US, a team analysing data from elderly Americans have noted that those taking certain blood pressure medications may reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s.

The report was published in the journal Neurology, and the data involved blood pressure drugs such as diuretics, angiotensin-1 receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.

The researchers reported that other blood pressure medications such as beta blockers and calcium channel blockers did not show a link to reduced risk.

Holistic therapies

In recent times, complementary therapies have also been used, together with conventional therapy, to try and improve symptoms.

Quite a few therapies have been tried, and the results have varied.

Such therapies include acupuncture, aromatherapy, bright light therapy, herbal medicine, massage, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and music therapy.

Although the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is very much a work in progress, sufferers and their loved ones should never lose hope for a silver lining.

We never know what life’s journey will throw at us. Ultimately, the journey can be a triumphant one if we never lose sight of the love, care and affection that should accompany us along this journey, no matter what happens.

The Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation of Malaysia (ADFM) will be hosting Forget Me Not, Konsert Amal DiRaja, on Dec 5 at Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, in celebration of the 69th birthday of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, the Sultan of Selangor. The concert will feature the renowned Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, with special guests local singer-songwriter Najwa Mahiaddin and prize-winning violinist Huang Bin. The 72-piece orchestra will be led by conductor Eugene Pook, and will feature light classical music, popular favourites and sheer symphony magic. For event enquries, please call ADFM at 03-7956 2008/7958 3008 or email [e-mail]. For ticketing enquiries, call TicketCharge at 03-9222 8811 or visit www.ticketcharge.com.my.