Clinical Trials and Research

Over the last 15 years, scientists have made enormous strides in understanding how Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain. Many of these recent insights point toward new breakthroughs for treatment or prevention, as well as improved ways to diagnose the disease and monitor its progression. Scientists continue to make advances, and progress is advancing very quickly on many fronts.

At any given time, several hundred studies are recruiting participants to help explore these exciting new approaches. Every clinical study contributes valuable knowledge, whether or not the experimental strategy works as hoped. Without study participants, however, the progress is stalled.  Scientists report growing difficulty finding enough volunteers to complete these studies. If you or a loved one have Alzheimer’s, a related disorder or memory loss — or even if you don’t — you could help advance our knowledge about this illness.

By participating in a clinical study, you may help some of these new treatments, preventive strategies and diagnostic tools become a reality.

A clinical study is any medical research project involving human volunteers. Research into improved approaches usually begins with laboratory work or animal studies. Following early success with these methods, new strategies must demonstrate their effectiveness in the final proving ground of human testing. What is a clinical trial? A clinical trial is a specific type of study in which one group of volunteers gets an experimental treatment, while a similar group gets a placebo (a look-alike "dummy treatment"). Scientists evaluate the effect of the new treatment by comparing outcomes in the two groups.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates medical products and drugs, oversees a rigorous process, based on sequential phases, for testing experimental treatments. The treatments must perform well enough in each phase to be allowed to progress to the next one. If a treatment performs adequately in all stages through Phase III, the FDA reviews all the data and determines whether to approve the drug for use in general medical practice.

There are studies that take place right here in our community, like the UC - Irvine study focusing on emotional memories and why some individuals can recall events better than others. To learn more, download the study flyer or call Richard Kesslerwest at 714.456.7854.

To learn more about clinical trials, download this PDF or call us at 1.800.272.3900.

Resources

National Alzheimer's Association
ADEAR - Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center
Alzheimer's Disease Program
Alzheimer Research Forum
American Society on Aging
Dementia Web
National Library on Medicine
University of Ohio Alzheimer Center
California Department on Aging

Books

Love Is Ageless: Stories About Alzheimer's Disease (edited by Jesicca Bryan)
Link to Google Book search
Elder Rage (Jacqueline Marcell)

Care Facilities

The California Nursing Home Guide
California Nursing Home Search

California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR)

A non-profit, consumer rights advocacy organization dedicated to senior issues and focusing on long-term care for residents of California.
CANHR

Caregiver Resources

Children & Teens

Dementia Advocacy and Support Network

DASN International

Dementia Newsgroups

Dementia Care Practice

The goal of the recommendations is to help assisted living residences and nursing homes nationwide provide a consistent, high quality level of care for individuals with dementia.  The recommendations are based on the latest evidence in dementia care research and the experience of care experts.  They are supported by 24 leading organizations representing residential care providers, professionals, care staff and consumers."

Click on the links below for Printable Booklets of Dementia Care Practice Recommendations

Dementia Care Recommendations: Phase 1 and 2
Dementia Care Recommendations: Phase 3 (End Of Life Care)

Elder Law Attorneys

Games/Activities

Government/Healthcare

California’s Discount Drug Program for Medicare beneficiaries
Center for Medicare Advocacy
Department of Managed Health Care (California) or call 1-888-HMO-2219
Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) or call 1-800-434-0222
Medicare Health Plan: Comparison of cost, coverage & benefits
Medicare Official Website
Medicare Rights Center

Long Term Care Insurance Rating Services

A. M. Best Company
Moody's Investor Service, Inc.
Standard & Poor's Insurance Rating Service

Medicare

See government/healthcare

Medication/Prescription/Benefits

Prescription Savings Program

On-line Publications

New LifeStyles
Caregiving Magazine

Orange County Resources

Caregiver Resource Center
Council on Aging including:
Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
Financial Abuse Specialist Team (F.A.S.T.)
Health Insurance Advocacy Program for Seniors (H.I.C.A.P.)
Health & Aging Services in Yorba Linda www.healthandagingservices.com
Linkages Case Management Program
Meals on Wheels
Office on Aging (formerly Area Agency on Aging)
South County Senior Services

Related Diseases

CJD Voice
http://members.aol.com/larmstr853/cjdvoice/cjdvoice.htm

National Institute of Health Website
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes


Pick’s Disease
PDSG
NINDS FrontoTemporal Dementia Information
eMedicine Neurology
http://www.zarcom.com/users/alzheimers/odem/pk.1html
Family caregiver alliance
Association of Frontotemporal Dementias

Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA)
Cognitive Neurology an Alzheimer's Disease Center
National Aphasia Association
 

Research/Drug Studies

Alzheimer's Disease International
Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of California, San Diego (ADRC UCSD)
American Academy of Neurology
Clinical Trials
Manual of Geriatrics
Mayo Clinic
Novartis Foundation for Gerontological Research
The Nun Study
University of California Irvine Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trials and Research
University of California - Institute for Brain Aging & Dementia Clinical Trials
Vascular Dementia Trials

Websites in Spanish (en espanol)

Medline Plus
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
AARP
Administration on Aging
UCI Medical Center (click:Espanol)
Mediguide
University of Utah, Health Sciences Center

Other Links

Aging and Health at WHO
Alzheimer Europe
Alzheimer's Disease Society
Alzheimer's Society of Canada
Alzheimer's Association NSW, Australia
American Society on Aging
Doctor's Guide to Alzheimer's Disease
Huntington's Disease Society of America
Neuromedical Institute
Predicting Alzheimer's Care
The Whole Brain Atlas
United Way Community Services
Brain: The world inside your head http://www.pfizer.com/brain/
Web topics - Brain http://www.franceandassociates.net/wtbrain.html

If you have difficulty finding the resources you need, please call our
24 hour helpline at 800-272-3900 or email us at helpoc@alz.org.

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