“Some studies suggest that 15 percent of people with MCI go on to develop
dementia every year,” notes George Bartzokis, M.D., director of UCLA’s Memory
Disorders and Alzheimer’s Disease Clinic. “People with MCI reveal memory
impairment upon neuropsychological testing, but still function well in their
daily lives.”
Many dementia treatments are being tested in clinical trials on people with
MCI to see if early intervention can reduce progression to dementia and if
memory improves.
Estimates project that almost half of individuals will develop dementia by
the time they reach 85 years of age. Research has shown that the disease may be
present 20 years before diagnosis. “Unless we can find ways to slow this
progression, the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease (whichaccounts for 70
percent of dementias) will quadruple in the next 15 to 20 years,” notes Gary
Small, M.D., director of UCLA’s Center on Aging. Currently treatments for
dementia include:
• Acetocholinesterase inhibitors—used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s
disease—hinder the enzyme that breaks down choline, a neurochemical key to
memory, which is reduced in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Uncompetitive NMDA antagonist (memantine)— inhibits the excitatory receptor
in the brain known as NMDA; too much NMDA can cause neuron “burnout.”
• Vitamin E—an antioxidant—reduces oxidation damage known to occur with
Alzheimer’s disease and has been shown in one large study to slow the rate of
mental decline caused by dementia. The high dosage tested in the study (2,000
IU) is not recommended as a preventive treatment for people without a dementia
diagnosis.
• Experimental treatments, currently in various stages of clinical trials,
include multiple ways to try to decrease the toxicity of the amyloid beta
protein (thought to be central to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease),
nicotine patches, and additional antioxidants.
Please note that we are unable to respond to medical questions through the comments feature below. For information about health care, or if you need help in choosing a UCLA physician, please contact UCLA Physician Referral Service (PRS) at 1-800-UCLA-MD1 (1-800-825-2631) and ask to speak with a referral nurse. Thank you!
