Alzheimers and Huntingtons Disease - New Research from UCI - MIND

About a year ago, I volunteered to be a guinea pig for the University of California - Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, better known as UCI - MIND.  As a result of my interest in their program, I now receive regular reports from them on their latest research into various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease and Huntington's Disease.

Naturally, the major reason I volunteered for this program was to keep track of my own cognitive ability as I age, and do everything possible to avoid mental decline, if possible.  However, I also signed up so I could share what I learn with my readers.  In 2019, there were some encouraging news stories from the researchers at UCI - MIND about how doctors can improve their clinical management of dementia, as well as a potential therapy for Huntington's Disease, which also causes dementia.

Amyloid PET Scans Can Improve Care for Dementia Patients

The first thing they reported was what they discovered when researchers across the United States performed Amyloid PET Scans on 11,000 patients.  After reviewing the results in patients who had been diagnosed either with either mild cognitive impairment or dementia, doctors changed the care they had been giving to about 60% of the patients!  In other words, the original diagnosis for more than half the patients had been wrong.  The PET Scans revealed a number of errors in their original diagnosis.

Approximately 25 percent of patients who were thought to have Alzheimer's Disease had their diagnosis changed to non-Alzheimer's dementia after the PET scans.

Another 10 percent of patients who were not thought to have Alzheimer's Disease turned out to actually have Alzheimer's Disease.

Other diagnostic errors were also discovered after the PET scans.

Because of these PET Scans, doctors realized they needed to change the treatment they were giving many of their patients.  Unfortunately, this was a clinical study and amyloid PET scans are not covered by either Medicare or other insurance providers as a diagnostic tool before treating patients with dementia.  Hopefully, this will change in the future so that the treatments match the diseases causing dementia.  Meanwhile, if you or someone in your family is suffering with symptoms of dementia, you may want to talk to your doctor about the possibility of your loved one having a PET scan to confirm the suspected cause of their cognitive decline.

Hopeful News for Huntington's Disease Patients

The second report from UCI - MIND was about a drug called an antisense oligonucleotide or ASO.  It has been found to be a safe way to lower the Huntington protein which is linked to the genetic mutation identified with Huntington's Disease.  A large clinical trial is planned to see if this drug will also lead to the first treatment to slow the progression of Huntington's Disease.  This could make a tremendous change in the lives of the 30,000 people in the United States currently living with the disease, and the estimated 150,000 who are believed to be at risk of developing it.

How You Can Access the Latest UCI - MIND Research

You can keep up with the latest research and discover what is being learned at UCI MIND yourself!  Anyone around the world can ask questions of the UCI MIND researchers by following them on Facebook at @UCIrvineMIND.  On the first Friday of every month at 9:00 A.M. Pacific Standard Time you can watch and participate live in their Facebook series, Ask the Doc: Alzheimer's Research Today!  Each month they have a new topic which is discussed by a research expert, and Facebook Live viewers can type their questions into the comments box and receive an immediate answer.

You can also get on the UCI MIND email list at www.mind.uci.edu/events and watch past episodes of their Ask the Doc Facebook series on the UCI MIND blog and YouTube channel.  If you are concerned about developing any type of dementia, you will want to take advantage of this unique opportunity to have your questions answered by experts, or see how the experts answered the questions other people had during their presentation.  Meanwhile, I will continue to share some of the latest research news with my readers as they release it.

To get a good overview of Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia, as well as symptoms, causes, treatments and patient care, I recommend the helpful book, "Alzheimer's & Dementia for Dummies."  It is clearly written and a good source of information for anyone who has been diagnosed with cognitive impairment, or for anyone who is a caregiver for someone who is suffering from mental decline.

If you are interested in learning more about other common medical problems as we age, Medicare, Social Security, where to retire, financial planning and more, use the tabs or pull-down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional pages.

Disclosure: This blog may contain affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase from an Amazon ad, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo of UCI taken by author.

Info in this report based on the Spring, 2019 issue of "MIND Matters"

UCI Study on the Brains of the Very Elderly

The University of California at Irvine has been engaged for the past decade in a landmark study aimed at understanding why some of the very elderly are able to stay mentally and physically healthy well into their 90's and beyond.  The results of this research could benefit millions of Baby Boomers who are just beginning to reach retirement age.

The study is being conducted by UCI neurologist Claudia Kawas and epidemiologist Maria Corrada.  It is called the 90+ Study.  It began in 2003 when Kawas and Corrada went to UCI after leaving Johns Hopkins University.

However, the real beginning of this research was in 1981 when a University of Southern California research team mailed 14,000 questionnaires out to residents of the Leisure World retirement community in Orange County, California (now renamed Laguna Woods).  Kawas and Corrada are using the information gleaned on that questionnaire and have set about contacting as many of the people who originally completed it, as possible. Many of them, of course, died over the years.

However, when Kawas and Corrada found someone who was still alive and at least 90 years old, they invited them to join their 90+ Study.  Most were eager to do so.  Participants agree to have their blood tested twice a year, demonstrate their mental acuity by doing things like counting backwards from 100 by 3's, and donate their brains to the researchers when they die.

About one-third of the people in the study have dementia, but the other two-thirds do not.  Kawas and Corrada hope to learn why.  The National Institute on Aging recently awarded them a $9.5 million grant to continue their research.  The money will be used to pay for MRIs and positron emission tomography scans on the donated brains so they can compare those people who have dementia to those that do not.

This is the largest study of the 90+ population in the world, and it will be fascinating to find out what these researchers discover.

Although I am not old enough to be part of this study, I am delighted that it is taking place in the community where I live.  I look forward to watching for future reports on what is being learned and I promise to pass updates on to my readers as new data is revealed to the public.

If you are retired or planning to retire soon, use the tabs at the top of this page to search for more information on medical issues, retirement finances, family relationships or places to retire.  Using those tabs, you will find links to hundreds of helpful articles.

Source of information on the UCI study:

"UCI's 90-plus Study Tackles Age-Old Question" by Lori Basheda.  Laguna Woods Globe, October 17, 2013 (a subsidiary of the Orange County Register)

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Public domain photo of an elderly couple is courtesy of www.morguefile.com