KU School of Medicine-Wichita

19 Forgetfulness In the early stages of dementia, a person might forget things easily, although not to the point where the memory loss can easily be distinguished from normal age-related memory deterioration. Normal Behavior In the early stages of dementia your loved one may experience no symptoms, though changes in the brain might already be occurring – these can happen several years before any dementia symptoms emerge. STAGES OF ALZHEIMER'S Alzheimer's disease typically progresses slowly in three stages: early, middle and late. Alzheimer's aects people in dierent ways. "We've had participants that have been with us almost 10 years. They're still highly functional, still driving, still shopping. It's really encouraging to see." — Tiany Schwasinger-Schmidt, M.D., Ph.D., FACP, associate professor, director, Internal Medicine, Center for Clinical Research Lecanemab has been shown to slow the loss of memory in people with Alzheimer's. Administered intravenously every two weeks, it works by removing a protein from the brain that is believed to cause Alzheimer's disease progression. This past July, the drug received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with a commitment from Medicare to cover the medication. taking part in phase 2 or phase 3 clinical trials testing the medication. Tiany Schwasinger-Schmidt, M.D., Ph.D., FACP, the center's director, called the results promising. In the drug study Ester took part in, he took a combination therapy orally each day. "As Alzheimer's disease progresses, patients get very frustrated with their situation," Schwasinger-Schmidt said. "They're not able to do the things they're used to doing. (Signs of frustration) can be anything from additional movements to verbalizing frustration to even going so far as physical manifestations. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of medications out there to control that frustration." hand in hand with eorts to improve the care of people who suer from the condition. The impetus is clear: About 6.7 million Americans 65 and older now have Alzheimer's, and the number is expected to grow as the nation's aging population rises. By 2025, the Alzheimer's Association projects that total will include 62,000 Kansans. There's no known cure for the progressive neurological disease. 'Really encouraging' KU Wichita's Center for Clinical Research has taken part in a drug trial for Lecanemab for nearly a decade; the drug appears to slow the progression of Alzheimer's. Currently, six people are When Bill Ester started getting short-tempered with family members, they knew something was wrong with the retired Methodist pastor. "I would be on one level of our home and try to converse with my wife on another level," Ester remembers. "That was dicult, and that agitation became part of our relationship." Visits to his primary care physician and a psychologist seemed to confirm their concerns: A diagnosis of dementia, which produces agitation in 70% of those who have the disease. Not long after, his wife, Carolyn, learned that KU School of Medicine-Wichita was conducting research into a combination therapy to reduce agitation in people with Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia. Ester, who took part in the study for almost two years, said there's no doubt in his mind that the medication reduced his feeling of agitation — an impression confirmed by his wife. "He wouldn't talk like he does now," Carolyn Ester said. "It would come out like he was angry. He doesn't do that much anymore." At KUSM-Wichita, research into Alzheimer's disease goes

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