New Drug Vouched as a ‘Game Changer’, Halts Brain Decline in Alzheimer’s

The research was scheduled for presentation Thursday at the annual Alzheimer’s Association worldwide Conference, held from July 18 to 23 in Washington, D.C.

“Based on the results we heard reported today at AAIC 2015, exercise or regular physical activity might play a role in both protecting your brain from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and also living better with the disease if you have it”, reports Maria Carrillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Association.

In their study, 200 Alzheimer’s patients, between 50 to 90 years old, were assigned randomly to either a supervised program of aerobic exercise or a to a control group.

Cummings and colleagues used a two-stage Sequential Parallel Comparison (SPCD) study design to minimize placebo effect and analyze the drugs effects in people with probable Alzheimer’s disease and agitation.

Interim results from a safety study of aducanumab in people with very early stage Alzheimer’s, show the drug reduces the amount of the amyloid plaques in the brain, with an increasing effect as the dose increases. The researchers found that fewer mood problems such as anxiety, irritability, and depression were seen among those who exercised. In particular, participants attending 80% of exercise classes who exercised vigorously experienced significant improvements in their mental speed and attention. The researchers found that participants who took aerobics significantly improved their memory and selective attention, compared with those not asked to exercise regularly.

“Alzheimer’s disease is one of many possible causes of cognitive impairment, which can make diagnosis challenging”, Eli Lilly’s vice president of clinical development Michael Pontecorvo said in a statement.

“These findings are important because they strongly suggest a potent lifestyle intervention such as aerobic exercise can impact Alzheimer’s-related changes in the brain”, says study co-author Laura Baker.

A team of scientists at the Danish Dementia Research Center in Copenhagen, Denmark have discovered that regular physical activity can provide patients with Alzheimer’s with considerable relief regarding the neuropsychiatric symptoms of the disease.

The researchers also observed the standard measure of life quality and rated how well people functioned socially and that also showed that women slipping faster than men.

“If they are positive, these drugs will be the first identified to directly interfere with the disease process and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s”.