Exciting Possible Treatment for Alzheimer's! And the first Patient is a Nurse

Approximately 5.7 Americans of all ages are living with Alzheimer's currently. 5.5 million people are over the age of 65 years and there are approximately 200,000 individuals under the age of 65 who have early-onset Alzheimer's. These numbers are expected to double by 2060 in the US. As we become better able to care for chronic diseases such as heart and lung disease as well as improved cancer survival rates, our population is growing older and at more risk for Alzheimer's and other dementias.Recently, in Morgantown, West Virginia a potential breakthrough has been made. "For Alzheimer's there's not that many treatments available, despite hundreds of clinical trials over the past two decades, and billions of dollars spent," said Dr. Ali R. Rezai, a neurosurgeon at WVU who led the team of investigators that successfully performed a phase II trial using focused ultrasound to treat a patient with early stage Alzheimer's."

More on this ground-breaking treatment:

The procedure in West Virginia involved the use of ultrasound waves focused through a specialized helmet with more than 1,000 probes targeting a precise spot in the brain, Rezai explained, coupled with microscopic bubbles. "And when we put a different frequency of ultrasound on the bubbles they start osculating," he said. The reaction opens up the brain-blood barrier - a nearly impenetrable shield between the brain's blood vessels and cells that make up brain tissue. "It's protected on one end for us to function but also prevents larger molecules or chemotherapy or medications or anti-bodies or immune system cells or amino therapy or stem cells to get in," he said.

In this case, the West Virginia team targeted the hippocampus and the memory and cognitive centers of the brain which are impacted by plaques found in patients with Alzheimer's. "Plaques are these clusters of proteins that accumulate and they block-up the brains connectivity," he said. "In animal studies it showed that these plaques are cleared with ultrasound technology.

The first patient, a person Rezai called a pioneer and hero is West Virginia health care worker and former WVU Children's Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse Judi Polak. She was diagnosed five years ago with early-onset Alzheimer's. After her first treatment, she noted that she could answer questions quicker and participate in conversations easier and she also reported that her speech was clearer.

Many members of a large team contributed to the first successful use of this treatment. Included among the front-runners of the team is Dr. Jeff Carpenter, a professor of neurology, neurosurgery and an interventional neuroradiologist at WVU. He considers himself the "tech'" guy of team as he has a background in both MRI, interventional radiology but also has the ability to care for patients.

There are seven stages of Alzheimer's though not everyone passes through them at the same rate:

• Stage One: No Impairment
• Stage Two: Very Mild Cognitive Decline
• Stage Three: Mild Cognitive Decline
• Stage Four: Moderate Cognitive Decline
• Stage Five: Moderately severe cognitive decline
• Stage Six: Severe cognitive decline
• Stage Seven: Very severe cognitive decline

This treatment, currently in stage 2 clinical trials holds promise though this must be tempered with caution as it is still in the early stages of treating patients. However, we can only wonder what would happen to our population if Alzheimer's is eradicated? What's next? Heart disease? Cancer?

Continued research and clinical trials are needed of course - maybe the sky's the limit for our longevity!

References:

Alzheimers Association

Historic breakthrough: WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience team first to use ultrasound to treat Alzheimer's

National Toll-Free Helpline

Number of Americans with Alzheimer's Patients Expected to Soar in Coming Decades

Seven Stages of Alzhiemer's