I lost a friend recently. Until his 75th birthday he had been a happy, social person who loved to sing, play guitar, visit friends, and tell funny stories. Over the past two years, I watched him become depressed, uninterested in his old friends and activities, cynical and bitter. At the same time, he lost weight, he didn’t eat, he complained of fatigue and pain, and he didn’t have the energy to walk. What happened? He […]
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Bilingualism and dementia: how some patients lose their second language and rediscover their first
For many people with dementia, memories of early childhood appear more vivid than their fragile sense of the present. But what happens when the present is experienced through a different language than the one spoken in childhood? And how might careers and care homes cope with the additional level of complexity in looking after bilingual people living with dementia? This is not just relevant for people living with dementia and those who care for them. […]
Continue readingIf the FDA approves Biogen’s Alzheimer’s treatment, I won’t prescribe it
I’ve been saying that for the past 18 years. The few drug treatments I do prescribe are only modestly effective in easing the disease’s cognitive problems. None of them slow its relentless chipping away at individuals’ ability to control their lives or their caregivers’ steady accumulation of commitments of time and task. So you might think that I’m among those hoping the FDA will approve aducanumab, an experimental Alzheimer’s drug developed by Biogen, a decision […]
Continue readingNew Alzheimer’s Drug: What Doctors Want You to Know About Aduhelm How does the new treatment work, and why is it controversial?
Here’s what patients and their caregivers should know. After the FDA approved a controversial new Alzheimer’s drug, doctors have been fielding lots of questions about it from patients and their caregivers. The drug, called Aduhelm and made by Biogen, removes amyloid, a sticky substance in the brain that is a defining feature of Alzheimer’s disease. But some doctors say it’s unclear whether removing amyloid will actually slow the progression of the disease. Clinical trials yielded mixed results. On Thursday, Biogen […]
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