For years, doctors and patients thought there was little to do when dementia was diagnosed, even at an early stage. Now, potentially sweeping changes loom.
and patients with mild cognitive impairment are at the center of the efforts. Lacking a cure, scientists are trying desperately to delay the worst phase of the illness.For the first time, medications are emerging, often amid intense controversy. These drugs are designed to slow the disease, not just treat symptoms, for people with mild cognitive impairment, known as MCI, and early dementia from Alzheimer’s.
describing patients who were “in between,” said Ronald C. Petersen, an Alzheimer’s researcher at Mayo and lead author of the paper.The patients’ memories were slipping, but they were still able to drive, pay their bills and, in many cases, work. When the paper described these patients, “Doctors said, ‘Yes, that makes sense. I see people in my practice like that, and I don’t know what to do with them,’ ” Petersen said.may have MCI, but cautions the data is not firm.
Chopp’s doctor asked her to take a few memory tests, and was concerned enough to refer her for more testing. Months later, an anxious Chopp and her husband headed to an appointment with a specialist for the diagnosis. Chopp, an accomplished scholar on progressive Christian movements, reveled in the nonstop demands of running academic institutions. She had planned on working at the university in some way for another decade.When she announced in 2019 that she was stepping down as chancellor, Chopp described her illness as a “complex neurological disorder.” She was not ready to see headlines highlighting her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. After she left her job, she was bereft.
to Alzheimer’s. Three-hundred sedentary older people with the condition were divided into two groups, one that performed aerobic exercise several times a week and another that did balance and stretching exercises. “I am all in on the lifestyle changes,” said Gibbs, an avid hiker and boater. “My hope is that I will die of something else first. I don’t think that is maudlin. Everyone knows that dying of Alzheimer’s is pretty unpleasant for everybody.”
But Chopp’s spiritual and emotional well-being is grounded in something she long resisted because she did not think she would be any good at it — painting. In the lower, light-filled level of her house, she paints colorful landscapes, portraits and abstract paintings. On the walls are a portrait of her great-nephew at 6 months old, and another of a woman on the beach with sprawling red hair. Painting helps her connect to something greater than herself, she said.
Studies show that Black Americans are up to twice as likely as Whites to develop Alzheimer’s and related dementias, but much less likely to be diagnosed.“Adopting a vegetarian diet is very hard if you are just trying to survive,” Chopp said. Adding footsteps to the daily routine, she said, might be more feasible. As a lifelong educator, Chopp hopes her book will provide a road map for other patients while easing their despair.
Medicare has declined to cover the anti-amyloid therapies except in clinical trials, saying it wants to see more data on safety and effectiveness. TheLeqembi. James Taylor, a Voices of Alzheimer’s board member who cares for his wife, Geri, said, “As a vet, I could get the drug, but Geri can’t.”
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