alzheimers news-26 weeks in

ALZHEIMERS NEWS-26 WEEKS IN

today marks the 26th week into the biogen aducanumab study
for hopefully slowing down this disease
for me for now if i didnt get the placebo

for the rest of you if this stuff actually works
it will be available to you eventually

eg those of you who have  matching dna to mine
this may be a drug you will get
some of you even before you have symptoms

thats where all this is heading

this 6 month testing today is important
for this drug this infusion to work
it has to do two things

first   it has to remove the bad beta amyloid from the brain
and
keep new amyloid from being deposited

second   the memory testing has to show no change or
an improvement in memory

this second one has to happen or this stuff isnt helping
the first one well that happened in everyone who has had this
in early studies

so for me
this is an important day
although i will not ever see the results
but
when the memory tests are done
since i have had enough of them
and
have actually administered them to folks
i know how i do when i take them

first
they isolate us my wife she and i
like you know when the police isolate suspects
well i guess thats not a good example

they ask her questions about how i am doing
has she noticed things etc
then
they ask me similar questions to compare our answers

we my wife she and i always joke
i do better than she does on some of these

then
its several different memory tests that are done
similar to the moca and mmse that are done in a lot
of doctors office
i scored low 7 years ago but have improved over that time

when all these are put together
they are compared to my memory testing done over 6 months ago

if i got the real stuff they should have improved
if this stuff works
and
if i got the real stuff


then after lunch
i get the pet scan called the amyvid scan
it tests for the beta amyloid thats accumulated there
the scan on the left above is positive
the scan on the right above is negative

i also decided to do a substudy where they do more pet scans
than on the other study subjects
even though like the memory tests ill never see the results
the more data they can get the better the results are at the end
of the study

so
if this stuff is working if i got the real stuff
then
my pet scan will look better
at the end of the study
it should be all clear

again though
the memory has to not get worse or get better
for this drug to be a success

the amyvid scan uses a radioactive substance to highlight
the beta amyloid in the brain
if its all red like in the initial scan above on the left
then the scan is positive
if its still red after the study is done
then the stuff either it didnt work or you got the placebo

everyone in the study has a scan that is positive at the beginning

if its not red after getting the infusions then it looks like
the scan on the right
it means the amyloid is all gone
thats right its all gone
initial testing in other studies show this stuff removes the amyloid

this is an important visit
as in one year this part of the study ends

when they look at all the results then
if it appears to be working and there are no significant side effects
then
all of us will get the real drug infusions for another 3 years

what i hope is
i got the real drug to begin with and not the placebo
i think i may be getting the real drug based on some of my side effects
then
i hope this stuff really works

help us find a cure

my walks


alzheimers texas williamson county walk september 23rd


santa barbara walk to end alzheimers october 28th

the organicgreen doctor