One of the biggest challenges facing Alzheimer’s patients is figuring out whether or not a drug is helping treat their condition properly. Patients are losing precious time taking one drug when they could be switching to another drug that is more effective for the condition. Luckily, a new test aims to reduce that waiting time so patients and their families can quickly find out just how well a certain drug is working.
The test is done using a cerebrospinal fluid sample, where the sample is checked for flushing of “abeta,” a substance known to be present in unusually high numbers in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. When lots of abeta is getting flushed out of the brain, then scientists know that the drug is working.
The test takes a mere 36 hours and can come up with fairly conclusive results of just how effective the current drug being used is. This technology could be put to use in clinical trails, testing the efficacy of Alzheimer’s drugs, and it could also be used to improve individual patient care. This could mean better chances of cognitive retention in people suffering from Alzheimer’s.
Now all doctors have to do is find the most effective drug for treating Alzheimer’s in order to help patients with this devastating condition start seeing better results in their treatment.