Researchers at John Hopkins University found that a drug used to treat patients with epilepsy can actually calm down the brain of patients that have early signs of Alzheimer's. Recent research backs up previously published works by the John Hopkins' team that the drug has advantages. Animal studies have been done and a plan for long-term clinical trials is in place to see how the drug will affect human brains.
Certain studies have shown that small amounts of atypical antiepileptic levetiracetam lowers the affects of Alzheimer's dementia. 84 people were studied and out of them 17 were healthy and the rest had pre-dementia. All were over the age of 55. In a double-blind trial some patients were given a placebo and some were given small doses of the drug. Low doses showed positive results in lessening memory loss.
This article is so interesting because Alzheimer's affects many people. Finding a possible cure is amazing because then people would not have to suffer through the disease. Just knowing that grandparents and even parents would not lose their memory and not forget the ones they love is a great thing. With the way this research is going I think many positive outcomes will become available in the near future.
This is amazing. If researchers are able to develop a definitive cure for Alzheimer's, it would be a MAJOR breakthrough in the medical sciences. Alzheimer's is such a horrible disease, as the patient and their family suffer physically and emotionally.
ReplyDeleteThis research is awesome. If all goes well and this happens to be the cure I would be very relieved. Having a grandparent that is starting to show signs and it is getting worse. I hope this can help her.
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