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Presentations by BU ADC Investigators at the 10th International Conference on Alzheimer’s DiseaseDr. Karen Cuenco, “Ethnic differences in MRI scans among AD patients and unaffected siblings in the MIRAGE study.” Dr. Robert Green, “Extended versus condensed protocol for disclosing genetic susceptibility for AD: The REVEAL study.” Dr. Nancy Emerson Lombardo, “Brain enhancement strengthening treatment: The Serper Method of Cognitive Rehabilitation to treat persons with AD; Final study results.” Dr. Angela Jefferson, “Decisional capacity for research participation in mild cognitive impairment.” Dr. Ann C. McKee, “Pathological evidence of dense Alzheimer lesions in the visual association cortex of cognitively intact elderly subjects.” Dr. Peter Morin, “FT-IR microspectroscopy: Analysis of AD and transgenic mouse amyloid deposition;” “Wnt-PCP signaling regulates cytoskeletal remodeling and neurite growth: effects on APP metabolism;” and “LRP6 Interacts with the retromer protein, vacuolar sorting protein 35.” Dr. Scott Roberts, “Age group differences in response to genetic risk assessment: Results from the REVEAL study.” Eric Steinberg, MSN, RN, CANP, “Factors associated with changing decisions for brain donation.” Dr. Benjamin Wolozin, “Associations between medication usage and the incidence of AD: Effects observed for cardiovascular and immunomodulatory medications.”
Alzheimer’s in the NewsThe 10th International Conference on AD was held this past July in Madrid. The meeting, sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association, was the largest gathering of Alzheimer’s researchers in history with more than 5000 attendees. The BU ADC was well represented at the meeting, with more than 10 faculty and affiliates presenting research. HOPE Study Coordinator, Eric Steinberg, presented data examining factors associated with changing decisions for brain donation. Race is the most significant variable for predicting initial refusal for brain donation. Length of time in the HOPE Registry and a dementia diagnosis were associated with subsequent agreement after initial refusal. The REVEAL study’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Robert Green, reported that AD genetic risk information can be safely delivered in a clinically feasible, “condensed” format. Co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Scott Roberts, reported that REVEAL participants age 60 and above fared as well as their younger counterparts in terms of anxiety and distress following genetic risk disclosure, but they were less likely to accurately recall their APOE genotype and lifetime risk information at 6 weeks following disclosure. Dr. Benjamin Wolozin reported that simvastatin is associated with a striking 75% reduction in the incidence of dementia in non-hypertensive participants age 65 years and older. No other statins showed a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of dementia. The large size of this dataset, including over 4.5 million subjects from the US Veterans Affairs database, provides strong support for the hypothesis that statins, and simvastatin in particular, might be beneficial in delaying the onset of dementia. BU is a local site for the Flurizan study, and promising Flurizan study findings were presented in Madrid. Dr. Adrian Hobden, President of Myriad Pharmaceuticals, said “the results are consistent with a mode of action for Flurizan that is modifying the course of the underlying [Alzheimer’s] disease process.” The next International Conference on AD will be held in Chicago in July 2008. More information can be found online at http://www.alz.org/icad/.
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