For our blog, I try to be alert to what's going on in the world of Alzheimer's research, always looking for the next big thing. When I find something that I think will interest you, I try to post about it here. Of course, we have an array of readers with an array of interests. Some say they get a lot out of posts about advances in research, while others tell me they're just interested in what's going on with me and my personal progress.
The twelve days of the Christmas season are in progress as are the eight days of Chanukah. And so, New Years is only a few days away. Every year in the media, this period is filled with reviews of the big events of the past year. And something caught my eye -- an article in the New York Post, "Alzheimer's Discoveries Scientists Made in 2024." I read it eagerly looking for something new, only to find that we have already covered pretty much all of their finds. But here they are:
1. A third new Alzheimer's drug was approved. That was Kisunla, or, generically, donanemab. We wrote about that back in July.
2. Blood tests could improve speed and accuracy of diagnosis. We've been writing periodically on the progress of developing blood tests since 2018. Here's an example. My concern remains that a bad test result could prevent many from getting long term care insurance.
3. Wildfire smoke raises risk of dementia. We wrote about that in July.
4. Alzheimer's causes physical changes in the brain. This research "news" focused on the fact that things are going on the brain as much as 20 years before the first symptoms. We explained that in the original Beating the Dementia Monster book several years ago, but popular media is just picking up on this now. We wrote about this breaking news a bit cynically back in October.
My cognition hasn't been tested by my doctors for several years, partly because I don't see the point in it for now. I'm clearly stable, and my memory and cognition are now consistent with normal aging. That doesn't mean I'm cured; they tell me I've put the disease on hold for maybe 10 years. Which is OK with me.
That being said, I am in several research studies that do some level of testing. One of those is a project to validate cognitive testing done over Zoom. They test me over Zoom, and then have me come to Seattle to test me the same way in person. They do this annually for a couple of years. Are the Zoom test results consistent with the in-person tests? Once they've done enough tests with enough people they'll know.
I have a number of things I watch in my own behavior as my personal, informal measure of how I'm doing. Can I remember to lock my car door when I go to the store? Am I driving well? Can I speak or read in Spanish consistent with my history (something I do daily)? My next Zoom test is in a week or two, and I'll have a more "official" read. They won't tell me the results, but I've taken enough of these tests and seen how I was scored, that I can get a definite intuitive sense for where I'm at. I don't anticipate anything disappointing.
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