new alzheimers study

NEW ALZHEIMERS STUDY
as many of you who read this blog know i was diagnosed with
early mild cognitive impairment anmesic type when i enrolled in a
research study at the university of texas at southwestern medical
center in dallas

during the initial evaluation it was discovered that i had some short
term memory loss not noted by other people but looking back i
had noticed some problems
no one my wife she, patients, my nurse d, friends, fellow doctors,
clinic employees or family noted any problems

i was to be in the normal control group but after my diagnosis of mci
i was started on aricept because of the changes and my family
history of alzhiemers and was not accepted in that study

now that i have been on my medication for 2 months and am on a
stable dose i have the opportunity to start on a new study

the new study is called the alzheimers disease neuroimaging
initiative-2(adni-2) and is sponsored by a grant from the national
institue on aging
i will be one of 10 persons in this national study from this institution
i will be in one of four groups being studied
the group i will be in is the early mild cognitive impairment group
the other groups are cognitive normal (where i was going to be
when all this started), late mild cognitive impairment, and
alzheimers disease

i will be followed for 54 months and will have serial neuro-
psychological exams(thats what caught mine), blood work to
include dna analysis to see if i have the genetic gene for
alzheimers(apoe gene with apoe 4 being the sucky gene),
spinal taps to check for amyloid protein levels(theory is thats what
is deposited in the brain that causes all this @#&*) and tau protein
levels (a protein that becomes unraveled in the brain),
mris, two different pet scans that shows amyloid deposits and one
that shows labeled sugars(fdg) utilized in the brain.
as the disease progresses the scans gradually become more abnormal
the pet scans that are used are only available in research studies

my progress will be monitored with these tests over this
period of time and any progression will be easily detected
the problem is some of the testing will not be available to me
to review
i will do extra spinal fluid analysis myself and the dna analysis
separately as those results i will not be able to see from the
research study

the neuropsychological exam results will be generally be reported
as the same, worse, or better

the scans may be partially reviewable

at the end of the 54 months i will know if i have progressed and
whether or not i have alzheimers or will develop alzheimers

at my death a brain autopsy will be done to compare the changes
that have occurred in the brain with the results seen on the scans

why do this study
although much of what is done is not reviewable by me i will still be
able to have my progress monitored and will generally know where i
am with this disease
i want to feel like i am contributing to the research for the cure and
treatment of this devastating disease that will affect everyone who
reads this blog in some way and may be the disease that breaks
the bank on our health care system

i will blog as i go along with this study which starts in april

the organicgreen doctor