News

GRID VIEW

No more posts
ADHD-or-Dementia.jpg

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that is often diagnosed in childhood. When most people think of ADHD, they envision young children with an overabundance of hyperactivity and impulsiveness. However, there are three kinds of ADHD: hyperactive, inattentive, and combined presentation (inattentive and hyperactive). Researchers feel that inattentive ADHD is underdiagnosed because the symptoms present quite differently and are less noticeable. It is a chronic condition that causes attention difficulties, hyperactivity, mood swings, and impulsiveness.

In more recent years, it has come to light that ADHD might be associated with some memory loss. Other common reasons for memory loss include brain injuries, illnesses like Alzheimer’s or depression, effects of drugs and alcohol, and nutritional deficiencies. Other examples that can cause memory loss are age, stress, or lack of sleep.

Many people with ADHD go undiagnosed, especially if they have inattentive ADHD. Adults with ADHD do report memory loss, especially long-term memory. More recent studies have focused on why adults with ADHD have memory loss.

An article under the National Library of Medicine states that “it is well documented that adults with ADHD perform poorly on long-term memory tests. ”Their study concluded that adult ADHD reflects “a learning deficit induced at the stage of encoding.”

Researchers aren’t clear about ADHD and memory loss or whether having ADHD as an adult puts you at higher risk for developing dementia. Another study done in 2017 discussed the overlapping symptoms of ADHD and a type of dementia called mild cognitive impairment.

Continued research is essential to increase understanding of ADHD and the link between memory loss. ENCORE Research Group sites do not currently have any research studies for ADHD, but you can find some by searching clinicaltrials.gov. If you are experiencing memory loss, it’s vital to speak with your doctor about your symptoms. If you are over 50 and have memory loss, Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research offers a free memory screening assessment. You can contact us at (904)-730-0166.


Sources:

Skodzik T, Holling H, Pedersen A. Long-Term Memory Performance in Adult ADHD. J Atten Disord. 2017 Feb;21(4):267-283. doi: 10.1177/1087054713510561. Epub 2016 Jul 28. PMID: 24232170.

Callahan, B. L., Bierstone, D., Stuss, D. T., & Black, S. E. (2017). Adult ADHD: Risk Factor for Dementia or Phenotypic Mimic?. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 9, 260. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2017.00260




This month’s MedEvidence guest, Dr. Steven Toenjes, MD, a board-certified neurologist, former staff neurologist in the U.S. Navy, and an award-winning director of neurology residents at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and decorated Navy veteran, joins Dr. Michael Koren and Michelle McCormick to discuss the future of Alzheimer’s research and what your gut has to do with Alzheimer’s.


Prefer to listen to the podcast without video? You can do that below!





What are all the hullabaloos about Aduhelm, the first new Alzheimer’s drug approval since 2003? This month’s MedEvidence guest, Dr. Steven Toenjes, MD, a board-certified neurologist, former staff neurologist in the U.S. Navy, and an award-winning director of neurology residents at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and decorated Navy veteran joins Dr. Michael Koren and Michelle McCormick to discuss the first new Alzheimer’s drug approval since 2003 and the controversy over FDA’s approval of Biogen’s Aducanumab (Aduhelm).


Prefer to listen to the podcast without video? You can do that below!





In Part 2: Is it Alzheimer’s or Something Else? Drs. Toenjes and Koren begin by answering the popular question, “When do you know something is wrong? Followed by explaining amyloid proteins, DNA structure, Alzheimer’s therapy, and the research behind it.

Dr. Steven Toenjes, MD, a board-certified neurologist, former staff neurologist in the U.S. Navy, and an award-winning director of neurology residents at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and decorated Navy veteran, joins Dr. Michael Koren and Michelle McCormick to discuss Alzheimer’s disease in a four-part series.


Prefer to listen to the podcast without video? You can do that below!





This month’s MedEvidence guest, Dr. Steven Toenjes, MD, a board-certified neurologist, former staff neurologist in the U.S. Navy, and an award-winning director of neurology residents at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and decorated Navy veteran joins Dr. Michael Koren and Michelle McCormick to discuss Alzheimer’s disease in a four-part series.

With over six million Americans believed to have Alzheimer’s disease and the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, MedEvidence breaks down Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s, including diagnosis and treatments.


Prefer to listen to the podcast without video? You can do that below!



Types-of-Psoriasis.jpg

*This assessment is only available at Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research*

If you are experiencing memory loss, you are not alone. According to the National Institutes of Health, roughly 40% of the population 65 and older experience associated memory impairment. Dementia is the broad category of cognitive impairment with subtypes like Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy Bodies, Vascular Dementia, and others.  Although there have been many breakthroughs in memory research, there is still no cure for memory loss.

What is a Memory Assessment?

A memory assessment tests for cognitive impairment. The assessment is a 30-point test widely used to assess dementia and Alzheimers. The type of test we use is the MMSE or mini-mental state exam. The MMSE assessment is a crucial step toward making a diagnosis.

Who Should Be Tested?

Memory loss can be a sign of aging. However, there are differences between typical signs of aging and memory loss, leading to dementia and other diseases. If you can still work or live independently, likely, you are just showing signs of age-related memory loss. On the other hand, if your memory loss disrupts your life, it is time for a memory assessment.

Other signs to look out for include:

  • Asking the same questions repeatedly
  • Forgetting common words while speaking 
  • Mixing up uncommon words like “Chair” and “TV’
  • Taking longer to complete familiar tasks
  • Putting items in odd places like your wallet in the fridge
  • Getting lost in familiar areas
  • Quick changes in mood or behavior for no reason

How Our  Free Memory Assessment Works

If you are unsure or worried about yourself or a loved one, you can get an MMSE free of charge for ages 50 and up at our Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research location. If you decide to schedule an appointment, plan to be at our facility for about an hour and a half. During that time, one of our experienced clinical coordinators will ask you a series of specific questions about your memory. 

The MMSE assesses orientation to time, orientation to place, word recall, calculations, naming, repetition, comprehension, reading, writing, and drawing. At your appointment, your clinical coordinator will also have you go through a memory questionnaire, asking about your daily symptoms.

Afterward, your results will be given to you, and there will be a clinical investigator on-site to answer any questions you may have. As mentioned, there is no cure for memory-loss-associated diseases, but the strides science has made in recent years have been astounding thanks to clinical trials.  

If you or a loved one is experiencing severe memory loss, you may consider a clinical trial. There are many benefits to participating, including one-on-one personal care from a physician and access to the latest experimental medication. Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research, a member of ENCORE Research Group, is enrolling in memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease research studies. If you want to learn more or schedule an appointment, call 904-730-0166.


seaweed.jpg

Can a type of seaweed really be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease? Some scientists think so, and it’s even being tested in clinical trials today. Oligomannate is extracted from seaweed and can be used as a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s. It is being developed by Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceuticals and has been given conditional approval by China. Oligomannate is in clinical trials in the U.S., Europe, and other countries, pending approval.

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that worsens over time and is the most common form of dementia. Amyloid plaques and tau tangles are widespread in Alzheimer’s and physically change the brain. Neurons die over the course of the illness, and neural networks become sparsely connected. This leads to the atrophy, or wasting away, of brain matter. This is a visible, significant loss of brain volume.

So how does Oligomannate work to stop these proteins from forming plaque?

In the preclinical studies, oligomannate was able to decrease the build-up of beta-amyloid protein in the brain, which in turn can improve cognitive function. Furthermore, oligomannate may be able to regulate the connection between microbiomes from the gut to the brain, reduce harmful metabolites produced by these microbiomes, and lessen inflammation. All of which help to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

More research needs to be done before it is FDA-approved in the US. Want to play a part in finding a possible treatment for one of the most devastating diseases? Consider participating in a research study! To see what is enrolling, visit our enrolling studies page. Your help is needed to move medicine forward.

 Source: Alzheimer’s News Today 


Alzheimers-hope.jpg

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that was first described in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer.  Since that time, Alzheimer’s disease has become the most common cause of dementia (accounting for 60-80% of cases).  It is estimated that in 2016, 5.4 million American’s of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease.  One in nine people age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s. JCCR has participated as a research center in clinical trials over the past several years to limit the devastating consequences of this difficult to treat disease.

The number of American’s with Alzheimer’s is anticipated to escalate rapidly with the aging of our population, with estimates ranging from 13.8 million to 16 million by 2050.  This estimate assumes no medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure the disease.

Alzheimer’s is a slowly progressive brain disease that begins well before clinical symptoms emerge.  The persistent accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain lead to death of brain cells over time, which causes decline in cognitive function.  Thus, a significant amount of protein accumulates in the brain over many years before a sufficient amount of brain injury has occurred to cause symptoms noticed by the patient or family/friends.

The medications currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s temporarily improve symptoms by increasing the amount of specific neurotransmitters in the brain.  However, they do not address the accumulation of abnormal proteins or brain cell injury and, thus, do not treat the underlying cause of the disease.  The first medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of Alzheimer’s was donepezil in 1996.  The last was memantine in 2003.  There have been no new/novel treatments approved by the FDA for the treatment of Alzheimer’s since 2003.  From 2002-2012, 244 drugs for Alzheimer’s were tested in clinical trials, and only one went on to receive FDA approval.

Currently, a worldwide quest is underway to find new treatments to stop, slow or even prevent Alzheimer’s.  The last 10-years have seen tremendous growth in research on early detection, and researchers believe that early detection will be key in preventing, slowing and stopping the disease.  There is a new wave of optimism in the scientific community about Alzheimer’s treatments.

As eloquently stated by Bill Thies, PhD, Senior Scientist in Residence with the Alzheimer’s Association:  “Despite increasing momentum in Alzheimer’s research, we still have two main obstacles to overcome.  First, we need volunteers for clinical trials.  Volunteering to participate in a study is one of the greatest ways someone can help move Alzheimer’s research forward.  Second, we need a significant increase in federal research funding.  Investing in research now will cost our nation far less than the cost of care for the rising number of Americans who will be affected by Alzheimer’s in the coming decades.”

Here at JCCR, we understand the importance of recognizing cognitive decline and identifying Alzheimer’s in its early stages.  Recent scientific breakthroughs provide hope that new treatments can prevent accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain and markedly slow the disease. We want to help individuals and their healthcare providers identify the early signs of memory changes so that effective interventions can be initiated promptly.  We want to help individuals maintain their memory function and their independence.  We also want to facilitate participation in clinical trials that will help our understanding of memory disorders and lead to treatments that will help maintain memory function.  We look forward to working with you and your healthcare providers.

Erin G. Doty, MD
Neurologist, Board Certified

 


Alz-1.jpg

Memory issues occur commonly and when they begin, one may worry about the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.  While Alzheimer’s may cause memory loss, memory loss is also a symptom of many reversible conditions. Early memory testing is crucial to determine the cause of memory loss to help reverse it before it becomes permanent.

For example, certain over-the-counter medications have been associated with dementia. A recent study came out this month linking Benadryl to dementia. Benadryl has many uses, including allergy symptom relief. The active ingredient in Benadryl is diphenhydramine. This drug blocks the action of acetylcholine (anticholinergic effect) and is used as a sedative because it causes drowsiness. 1 Diphenhydramine is used in most over-the-counter sleeping pills, for motion sickness, and other allergy medications.

A study completed in 2015 at the University of Washington showed the longer and more consistently people took anticholinergics, the more likely they were to develop dementia. Other drugs that contain anticholinergics are used to treat diseases like asthma, incontinence, gastrointestinal cramps, and muscular spasms. They are also prescribed for depression and sleep disorders. 2

While we do not fully understand dementia, we do know that the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is important in brain processing and memory.  We know that the acteylcholinesterase inhibitors (drugs like Aricept (donepezil), Exelon (rivastigmine) and Razadyne (galantamine) which inhibit the breakdown of acetylcholine, do provide symptomatic improvement in affected patients.

It would seem that taking a combination of acetylcholinesterase (cholinergic) with an anticholinergic drug (such as Benadryl) is probably not a good idea.  In fact a recent study showed 16% of Alzheimer’s patients living independently were doing just that.
This 2015 study is backed up by another study that came out this month offering the most definitive proof yet, that anticholinergic drugs are linked with cognitive impairment and increased risk of dementia. Using brain imaging they found that patients taking anticholinergic drugs indeed had lower metabolisms and reduced brain sizes.

The bottom line is that given all the research evidence, you should be aware that these over-the-counter medicines may reduce the effectiveness of your prescription medicines. If you or a loved is worried about memory loss, the first step is to get tested to see if it’s from a treatable or reversible cause. Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research offers a professional memory screening for no cost to you. Make an appointment today to help put your mind at ease.

1-   https://www.medicinenet.com
2-  https://www.healthline.com


Encore logo

As a proven clinical research organization, we take every precaution to ensure the safety of and maximize the value for our research volunteers. Qualified doctors, nurses and study coordinators on staff provide support and care throughout the research trial. Participation is always voluntary. We appreciate the time and effort that research volunteers bring to this important process.

Copyright 2023 ENCORE Research Group