Byrd Alzheimer's Institute Fequently Asked Questions
General Alzheimer's Information
- What is Alzheimer's disease?
- How many Americans have Alzheimer's disease?
- How many Floridians have Alzheimer's disease?
- How long can a person live with Alzheimer's disease?
- What causes Alzheimer's disease?
- Who can get Alzheimer's disease?
- What are the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease?
- How is Alzheimer's disease Diagnosed?
- What is the outlook for someone diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease?
- Why is early diagnosis important?
- What is dementia?
- Is Alzheimer's senile dementia?
- Is Alzheimer's a mental illness?
- How is Alzheimer's different from normal aging?
- What is multi-infarct dementia (MID)?
- What is mild cognitive impairment (MCI)?
- Is Alzheimer's disease genetic?
- How can I prevent Alzheimer's disease?
- How can I detect Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's Treatment
- What drugs are currently available to treat Alzheimer's disease?
- What potential new treatments are being researched?
- What are Clinical Trials?
Byrd Alzheimer's Institute Information
- When was the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute founded?
- How is the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute funded?
- What is the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute's primary goal?
- Where is the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute located?
- How do I get involved?
- What is the function of the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute?
- How can I get into the Clinical Trials and the Vitamin program?
What is Alzheimer's disease?
Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s ability to carry out daily activities. The most common form of dementia among older people is Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which initially involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. Although scientists are learning more every day, right now they still do not know what causes Alzheimer's disease, and there is no cure.
Alzheimer's disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German doctor. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. He found abnormal clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (now called neurofibrillary tangles). Today, these plaques and tangles in the brain are considered signs of Alzheimer's disease.
Scientists also have found other brain changes in people with Alzheimer's disease. Nerve cells die in areas of the brain that are vital to memory and other mental abilities, and connections between nerve cells are disrupted. There also are lower levels of some of the chemicals in the brain that carry messages back and forth between nerve cells. Alzheimer's disease may impair thinking and memory by disrupting these messages.
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How many Americans have Alzheimer's disease?
Scientists think that up to 4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease. The disease usually begins after age 60, and risk goes up with age. While younger people also may get Alzheimer's disease, it is much less common. About 3 percent of men and women ages 65 to 74 have Alzheimer's disease, and nearly half of those age 85 and older may have the disease. It is important to note, however, that Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging.
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How many Floridians have Alzheimer's disease?
Florida estimates that we have more than 435,000 citizens who suffer from Alzheimer's disease.
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How long can a person live with Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's disease is a slow disease, starting with mild memory problems and ending with severe brain damage. The course the disease takes and how fast changes occur vary from person to person. On average, Alzheimer's disease patients live from 8 to 10 years after they are diagnosed, though the disease can last for as many as 20 years.
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What causes Alzheimer's disease?
The cause of the steady and relentless loss of brain cells in Alzheimer's disease is unknown. Theories of the cause include a slow virus, a genetic predisposition, environmental toxins, chemical imbalance in the brain, and auto-immunity.
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Who can get Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's strikes rich and poor alike, men and woman, and people of all ethnic groups. People who have exercised, eaten healthy diets, never smoked a cigarette nor taken a drink are at equal risk with the rest of the population. Alzheimer's rarely occurs before age 45 (people who have Down's Syndrome may get Alzheimer's much earlier). By age 70, the prevalence of the disease rises. Largely because people are living longer than ever before, the United States is experiencing a virtual "epidemic of Alzheimer's disease".
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What are the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's disease begins slowly. At first, the only symptom may be mild forgetfulness, which can be confused with age-related memory change. Most people with mild forgetfulness do not have Alzheimer's disease. In the early stage of Alzheimer's disease, people may have trouble remembering recent events, activities, or the names of familiar people or things. They may not be able to solve simple math problems. Such difficulties may be a bother, but usually they are not serious enough to cause alarm.
However, as the disease goes on, symptoms are more easily noticed and become serious enough to cause people with Alzheimer's disease or their family members to seek medical help. Forgetfulness begins to interfere with daily activities. People in the middle stages of Alzheimer's disease may forget how to do simple tasks like brushing their teeth or combing their hair. They can no longer think clearly. They can fail to recognize familiar people and places. They begin to have problems speaking, understanding, reading, or writing. Later on, people with Alzheimer's disease may become anxious or aggressive, or wander away from home. Eventually, patients need total care.
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How is Alzheimer's disease diagnosed?
Today, the only definite way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease is to find out whether there are plaques and tangles in brain tissue. To look at brain tissue, however, doctors must usually wait until they do an autopsy, which is an examination of the body done after a person dies. Therefore, doctors can only make a diagnosis of "possible" or "probable" Alzheimer's disease while the person is still alive.
At specialized centers, doctors can diagnose Alzheimer's disease correctly up to 90 percent of the time. Doctors use several tools to diagnose "probable" Alzheimer's disease, including:
- questions about the person's general health, past medical problems, and ability to carry out daily activities;
- tests to measure memory, problem solving, attention, counting, and language;
- medical tests - such as tests of blood, urine, or spinal fluid; and
- brain scans.
Sometimes these test results help the doctor find other possible causes of the person's symptoms. For example, thyroid problems, drug reactions, depression, brain tumors, and blood vessel disease in the brain can cause Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms. Some of these other conditions can be treated successfully.
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What is the outlook for someone diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease?
The course the disease takes and how fast changes occur vary from person to person. On average, Alzheimer's disease patients live from 8 to 10 years after they are diagnosed, though the disease can last for as many as 20 years.
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Why is early diagnosis important?
An early, accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease helps patients and their families plan for the future. It gives them time to discuss care options while the patient can still take part in making decisions. Early diagnosis also offers the best chance to treat the symptoms of the disease.
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What is dementia?
The term "dementia" describes a group of symptoms that are caused by changes in brain function. Dementia symptoms may include asking the same questions repeatedly; becoming lost in familiar places; being unable to follow directions; getting disoriented about time, people, and places; and neglecting personal safety, hygiene, and nutrition. People with dementia lose their abilities at different rates.
Dementia is caused by many conditions. Some conditions that cause dementia can be reversed, and others cannot. The two most common forms of dementia in older people are Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia (sometimes called vascular dementia). These types of dementia are irreversible, which means they cannot be cured.
Reversible conditions with symptoms of dementia can be caused by a high fever, dehydration, vitamin deficiency and poor nutrition, bad reactions to medicines, problems with the thyroid gland, or a minor head injury. Medical conditions like these can be serious and should be treated by a doctor as soon as possible.
Sometimes older people have emotional problems that can be mistaken for dementia. Feeling sad, lonely, worried, or bored may be more common for older people facing retirement or coping with the death of a spouse, relative, or friend. Adapting to these changes leaves some people feeling confused or forgetful. Emotional problems can be eased by supportive friends and family, or by professional help from a doctor or counselor.
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Is Alzheimer's senile dementia?
Alzheimer's is a form of senile dementia. Senile dementia or organic brain syndrome were the phrases in popular use about twenty years ago to describe Alzheimer's disease. "Senility" is a catch-all word that means "old" and is especially associated with memory loss in the elderly. "Dementia" is an umbrella term for disorders where the mental functions break down -- where there is confusion, disorientation, and memory loss for recent events.
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Is Alzheimer's a mental illness?
Alzheimer's disease is not a mental illness. However, depression is a common mental illness and can cause Alzheimer's-like symptoms. Depression is a treatable and reversible condition.
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How is Alzheimer's different from normal aging?
Alzheimer's is not part of the normal aging process, and therefore, is not a normal event at the end of life. However, as people age, they tend to experience changes in the speed of recall: the information is there, but, with age, it may take longer to call it up. The following examples will illustrate some of the differences between changes due to normal aging and those due to Alzheimer's, especially in the more advanced stages of the disease.
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What is multi-infarct dementia (MID)?
In multi-infarct dementia, a series of small strokes or changes in the brain's blood supply may result in the death of brain tissue. The location in the brain where the small strokes occur determines the seriousness of the problem and the symptoms that arise. Symptoms that begin suddenly may be a sign of this kind of dementia. People with multi-infarct dementia are likely to show signs of improvement or remain stable for long periods of time, then quickly develop new symptoms if more strokes occur. In many people with multi-infarct dementia, high blood pressure is to blame. One of the most important reasons for controlling high blood pressure is to prevent strokes.
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What is mild cognitive impairment (MCI)?
During the past several years, scientists have focused on a type of memory change called mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI is different from both Alzheimer's disease and normal age-related memory change. People with MCI have ongoing memory problems but do not have other losses like confusion, attention problems, and difficulty with language.
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Is Alzheimer's disease genetic?
The "early onset form" that has been found in less than 5% of Alzheimer's disease patients usually affects people younger than 50 and is caused by inheritance of mutant forms of certain genes. In addition, changes in other genes my increase or decrease an individual's risk of developing Alzheimer's. Therefore, family history may hint towards the risk of becoming affected by the disease. (Dr. Ramirez)
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How can I prevent Alzheimer's disease?
There are some preventive measures individuals can do to possibly reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Some of the preventive measures include physical exercise, mental exercises, no smoking, maintaining a healthy diet, taking supplements (antioxidants and vitamins A, B, C, and E also lower risk of dementia) and generally following the recommendations for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. (Dr. Ramirez)
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How can I detect Alzheimer's disease?
Assessment by a physician or center experienced with Alzheimer's disease make it possible to detect the disease at a very early stage. Even though a cure is not yet available, some medical treatments slow down the progression of the disease. (Dr. Ramirez)
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What drugs are currently available to treat Alzheimer's disease?
No treatment can stop Alzheimer's disease. However, for some people in the early and middle stages of the disease, the drugs tacrine (Cognex®), donepezil (Aricept®), rivastigmine (Exelon®), or galantamine (Razadyne®, formerly known as Reminyl®) may help prevent some symptoms from becoming worse for a limited time. Another drug, memantine (Namenda®), has been approved to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease, although it also is limited in its effects.
Also, some medicines may help control behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease such as sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety, and depression. Treating these symptoms often makes patients more comfortable and makes their care easier for caregivers.
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What potential new treatments are being researched?
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the lead Federal agency for Alzheimer's disease research. NIA-supported scientists are testing a number of drugs to see if they prevent Alzheimer's disease, slow the disease, or help reduce symptoms. Some ideas that seem promising turn out to have little or no benefit when they are carefully studied in a clinical trial. Researchers undertake clinical trials to learn whether treatments that appear promising in observational and animal studies actually are safe and effective in people.
Mild Cognitive Impairment. During the past several years, scientists have focused on a type of memory change called mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is different from both Alzheimer's disease and normal age-related memory change. People with MCI have ongoing memory problems, but they do not have other losses such as confusion, attention problems, and difficulty with language. The NIA-funded Memory Impairment Study compared donepezil (Aricept), vitamin E, or placebo in participants with MCI to see whether the drugs might delay or prevent progression to Alzheimer's disease. The study found that the group with MCI taking the drug donepezil were at reduced risk of progressing to Alzheimer's disease for the first 18 months of a 3-year study when compared with their counterparts on placebo. The reduced risk of progressing from MCI to a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease among participants on donepezil disappeared after 18 months, and by the end of the study, the probability of progressing to Alzheimer's disease was the same in the two groups. Vitamin E had no effect at any time point in the study when compared with placebo.
Neuroimaging. Scientists are finding that damage to parts of the brain involved in memory, such as the hippocampus, can sometimes be seen on brain scans before symptoms of the disease occur. An NIA public-private partnership—the Alzheimer's disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)—is a large study that will determine whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans, or other imaging or biological markers, can see early Alzheimer's disease changes or measure disease progression. The project is designed to help speed clinical trials and find new ways to determine the effectiveness of treatments.
Alzheimer's disease Genetics. The NIA is sponsoring the Alzheimer's disease Genetics Study to learn more about risk factor genes for late onset Alzheimer's disease. To participate in this study, families with two or more living siblings diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease should contact the National Cell Repository for Alzheimer's disease (NCRAD) toll-free at 1-800-526-2839. Information may also be requested through the study’s website: http://ncrad.iu.edu.
Inflammation. There is evidence that inflammation in the brain may contribute to Alzheimer's disease damage. Some studies have suggested that drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) might help slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, but clinical trials thus far have not demonstrated a benefit from these drugs. A clinical trial studying two of these drugs, rofecoxib (Vioxx) and naproxen (Aleve) showed that they did not delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease in people who already have the disease. Another trial, testing whether the NSAIDs celecoxib (Celebrex) and naproxen could prevent Alzheimer's disease in healthy older people at risk of the disease, has been suspended. However, investigators are continuing to follow the participants and are examining data regarding possible cardiovascular risk. Researchers are continuing to look for ways to test how other anti-inflammatory drugs might affect the development or progression of Alzheimer's disease.
Antioxidants. Several years ago, a clinical trial showed that vitamin E slowed the progress of some consequences of Alzheimer's disease by about 7 months. Additional studies are investigating whether antioxidants—vitamins E and C—can slow Alzheimer's disease. Another clinical trial is examining whether vitamin E and/or selenium supplements can prevent Alzheimer's disease or cognitive decline, and additional studies on other antioxidants are ongoing or being planned.
Ginkgo biloba. Early studies suggested that extracts from the leaves of the ginkgo biloba tree may be of some help in treating Alzheimer's disease symptoms. There is no evidence yet that ginkgo biloba will cure or prevent Alzheimer's disease, but scientists now are trying to find out in a clinical trial whether ginkgo biloba can delay cognitive decline or prevent dementia in older people.
Estrogen. Some studies have suggested that estrogen used by women to treat the symptoms of menopause also protects the brain. Experts also wondered whether using estrogen could reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease or slow the disease. Clinical trials to test estrogen, however, have not shown that estrogen can slow the progression of already diagnosed Alzheimer's disease. And one study found that women over the age of 65 who used estrogen with a progestin were at greater risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and that older women using only estrogen could also increase their chance of developing dementia.
Scientists believe that more research is needed to find out if estrogen may play some role in Alzheimer's disease. They would like to know whether starting estrogen therapy around the time of menopause, rather than at age 65 or older, will protect memory or prevent Alzheimer's disease.
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What are Clinical Trials?
People with Alzheimer's disease, those with MCI, or those with a family history of Alzheimer's disease, who want to help scientists test possible treatments may be able to take part in clinical trials. Healthy people also can help scientists learn more about the brain and Alzheimer's disease. The NIA maintains the Alzheimer's disease Clinical Trials Database, which lists Alzheimer's disease clinical trials sponsored by the Federal government and private companies. You also can sign up for e-mail alerts on new clinical trials as they are added to the database. Additional clinical trials information is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
Many of these studies are being done at NIA-supported Alzheimer's Disease Centers located throughout the United States. These centers carry out a wide range of research, including studies of the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and management of Alzheimer's disease.
The NIA also supports the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS), a consortium of researchers at 109 sites in the U.S. and Canada conducting large-scale clinical trials of new approaches to treating and preventing Alzheimer's disease. The ADCS is based at the University of California, San Diego.
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When was the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute founded?
In 2002, the Legislature established the Florida Alzheimer’s Center & Research Institute as part of a comprehensive strategy to serve the needs of Florida’s citizens. It was re-named “Johnnie B. Byrd, Sr., Alzheimer’s Center & Research Institute,” during the 2004 legislative session. The Institute is dedicated to the critical scientific work that will prevent and cure Alzheimer’s disease.
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How is the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute funded?
The Institute is funded by the state of Florida. The statute provides annual funding of $15 million dollars for the next four years. At that time, the Legislature will review the Institute and determine future funding.
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What is the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute's primary goal?
The mission of the Byrd Alzheimer's Research Center is to prevent and cure Alzheimer's Disease. The prevention and cure of Alzheimer's disease will only be found through research in the laboratory and in the clinic. Such research will first identify the genetic and biochemical steps that lead to this devastating disease and will then provide us with the tools for early diagnosis, prevention, and, One Day a Cure®.
The Johnnie B. Byrd, Sr. Alzheimer's Center & Research Institute is dedicated to helping and coordinating the tremendous research expertise, experience, and creative vision of laboratories all over Florida, and to extending this critical work by building national and international collaborations. The goal of such collaborations is to more quickly translate research results into clinical applications that delay the disease onset and slow and, ideally, halt the disease progression. The patients and caregivers of Florida are also essential collaborators in this research program by their public support of our work and by their participation in clinical trials. They will be the first beneficiaries of our success.
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Where is the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute located?
The Byrd Alzheimer's Institute is located at 4001 East Fletcher Ave. Tampa, FL 33613.
However, Byrd Alzheimer's Institute scientists are also working in laboratories at the University of South Florida and other research centers around the state.
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How do I get involved?
You can get involved by keeping up with what there is to know about Alzheimer’s research at our website. You can also register for research news, press releases, and general Alzheimer's information updates, please fill out the form on the contact us page. Please remember to give us you name, postal address and email address.
You can get involved by attending local events and talks. This information is found on the calendar page of the web site under News.
You can also leave a legacy by contributing to the Institute. By planning now in wills, or trusts, or by creating gift annuities, we can help you create a legacy that has the potential to impact future generations. Please consider acting to implement your own giving plan to support the research, education, and service of the Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute. Please check out the contact us page for more information.
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What is the function of the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute?
It is the goal of the Johnnie B. Byrd, Sr. Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute to find a way (or ways) to prevent and cure Alzheimer's disease.
To this end, the Institute initiated collaborations between several centers in Florida that investigate and treat neurological disorders.
Our intent is to find genetic and environmental factors that are related to the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Knowledge of these factors will enable us to explore the possibility of preventing the disease onset, slowing the progression of the disease and, one day, finding a cure.
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How can I get into the Clinical Trials and the Vitamin program?
We offer a variety of clinical trial opportunities for qualifying participants, including “normal controls”: that is people who are over 50 years old and not experiencing any memory loss. The ADRC study starts with age 65.
We also offer Memory Screenings for any age at no cost. Our vitamin program is for Floridians over 60 and also at no cost.
Most of our clinical trials involving investigational drugs are for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease patients. Many of the studies are “placebo controlled”, but allow participants to remain on their current Alzheimer's medications.
Clinical trial procedures are performed at no cost to the participant, and participation is voluntary. Additional information is available from our clinical research staff at 813.866.1611.