scholarly journals Low Doses of Ionizing Radiation as a Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 1119-1128
Author(s):  
Jerry M. Cuttler ◽  
Eslam Abdellah ◽  
Yael Goldberg ◽  
Sarmad Al-Shamaa ◽  
Sean P. Symons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Ionizing Radiation ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
And Behavior

Background: In 2015, a patient in hospice with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was treated with ionizing radiation to her brain using repeated CT scans. Improvement in cognition, speech, movement, and appetite was observed. These improvements were so momentous that she was discharged from the hospice to a long-term care home. Based on this case, we conducted a pilot clinical trial to examine the effect of low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) in severe AD. Objective: To determine whether the previously reported benefits of LDIR in a single case with AD could be observed again in other cases with AD when the same treatments are given. Methods: In this single-arm study, four patients were treated with three consecutive treatments of LDIR, each spaced two weeks apart. Qualitative changes in communication and behavior with close relatives were observed and recorded. Quantitative measures of cognition and behavior were administered pre and post LDIR treatments. Results: Minor improvements on quantitative measures were noted in three of the four patients following treatment. However, the qualitative observations of cognition and behavior suggested remarkable improvements within days post-treatment, including greater overall alertness. One patient showed no change. Conclusion: LDIR may be a promising, albeit controversial therapy for AD. Trials of patients with less severe AD, double-blind and placebo-controlled, should be carried out to determine the benefits of LDIR. Quantitative measures are needed that are sensitive to the remarkable changes induced by LDIR, such as biological markers of oxidative stress that are associated with AD.

Therapeutic Companionship: The Occupational Therapist's Role in a Home Based Program for Clients with Alzheimer's Disease

1988 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-30
Author(s):  
Jitka Zgola
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Care Program ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Home Assistance

The beneficial effects of activation and remotivation on persons who suffer from Alzheimer's Disease have been well documented; but the preponderance of such work is limited to day programs and long-term care facilities. Work aimed at the home situation relates mostly to day-to-day management of these patients with little reference to activation. The Alzheimer Home Assistance Program and the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Health Unit Home Care Program have collaborated in an effort to deliver therapeutic activity programs to the homes of persons with dementing conditions. This paper describes an initiative that combines the skills of occupational therapists and those of visiting homemakers to provide therapeutic programming and companionship for homebound victims of Alzheimer's disease.

Double-Blind, Controlled Phase II Study of a 5-HT6 Receptor Antagonist, SB-742457, in Alzheimer's Disease

2010 ◽  
Vol 999 (999) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth Maher-Edwards ◽  
Marina Zvartau-Hind ◽  
A. Jacqueline Hunter ◽  
Michael Gold ◽  
Gillian Hopton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Receptor Antagonist ◽  
Phase Ii ◽  
Phase Ii Study ◽  
Double Blind

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its Sulphate (DHEAS) in Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dubravka S. Strac ◽  
Marcela Konjevod ◽  
Matea N. Perkovic ◽  
Lucija Tudor ◽  
Gordana N. Erjavec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
And Behavior

Background: Neurosteroids Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate (DHEAS) are involved in many important brain functions, including neuronal plasticity and survival, cognition and behavior, demonstrating preventive and therapeutic potential in different neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. Objective: The aim of the article was to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature on the involvement of DHEA and DHEAS in Alzheimer’s disease. Method: PubMed and MEDLINE databases were searched for relevant literature. The articles were selected considering their titles and abstracts. In the selected full texts, lists of references were searched manually for additional articles. Results: We performed a systematic review of the studies investigating the role of DHEA and DHEAS in various in vitro and animal models, as well as in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and provided a comprehensive discussion on their potential preventive and therapeutic applications. Conclusion: Despite mixed results, the findings of various preclinical studies are generally supportive of the involvement of DHEA and DHEAS in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease, showing some promise for potential benefits of these neurosteroids in the prevention and treatment. However, so far small clinical trials brought little evidence to support their therapy in AD. Therefore, large-scale human studies are needed to elucidate the specific effects of DHEA and DHEAS and their mechanisms of action, prior to their applications in clinical practice.

Evaluating Thrombin Inhibition in Alzheimer’s Disease (The BEACON Trial): Protocol for a Pilot Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudia Yang Santos ◽  
Christine Getter ◽  
John Stoukides ◽  
Brian Ott ◽  
Stephen Salloway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Thrombin Inhibitor ◽  
Placebo Control ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Thrombin Inhibition ◽  
Approved Drugs

BACKGROUND The precise mechanisms whereby cardiovascular risk factors increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have not been delineated. We reported that microvessels isolated from AD brains overexpress a diverse array of neurotoxic and inflammatory proteins, which is consistent with the process of vascular activation. In pre-clinical studies using AD animal models we showed that a vascular activation inhibitor reduced vascular-derived neuroinflammation and improved cognitive performance. Thrombin is a key mediator of cerebrovascular activation in AD. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate the safety and potential efficacy of the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran, in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild AD to decrease vascular-derived neuroinflammation and improve cognitive performance. METHODS Participants will be enrolled then evaluated quarterly throughout the 24-month study. This is a 24-month randomized-control, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, delayed-start, pilot study evaluating thrombin inhibition in people with biomarker-confirmed MCI probably due to AD or mild AD. 40 - 60 participants will be recruited between 50 - 85 years old. In the initial 9-months of study, either dabigatran or placebo will be orally administered to patients at a dose of 150 mg per day. After 9 months of the placebo-control (Phase I), the placebo arm will cross-over to an active, open-label (Phase II) where all patients will be treated with a 150 mg daily dose of dabigatran orally for an additional 12 months. A 3-month non-treatment follow-up period will assess duration of effects. RESULTS Beginning in July 2019, and concluding in August 2022, this study is expected to publish final results in January 2023. CONCLUSIONS BEACON is a first-in-kind randomized clinical trial targeting thrombin activation in AD therapeutics. This trial will stimulate translational investigations of an FDA-approved drugs in a newly defined therapeutic areas. CLINICALTRIAL Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03752294

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