A new study has discovered a highly promising therapy for patients with cognitive and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, the second most common type of dementia in people under the age of 60, resulting in the stabilization of what would otherwise be escalating behavioral issues and the slowing of disease-related brain shrinkage.
It is the second clinical trial to demonstrate that the medicine, sodium selenate, may decrease cognitive loss and neuronal damage, which are hallmarks of several dementias, especially Alzheimer's Disease.
Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia
(Photo : YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images)
Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is a devastating illness that can strike persons as early as 35 years old, as per ScienceDaily.
It is characterized by behavioral and personality abnormalities, and it may be extremely disruptive and stressful for both patients and their families.
There are currently no therapies or cures for bvFTD, and the average survival time is 5-7 years after diagnosis.
The Phase 1 trial, which was conducted in collaboration with the Royal Melbourne Hospital for being the only one in Australia targeting non-genetic bvFTD and one of only a few worldwide, demonstrated that the drug, sodium selenate, is safe and well-tolerated in patients with bvFTD over a 12-month period.
Furthermore, the proportion of patients who received sodium selenate saw no change in cognitive or behavioral symptoms and experienced lower rates of brain shrinkage over the study period.
The trial's findings, led by Dr. Lucy Vivash of Monash University's Department of Neuroscience, were recently published in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions.
The destruction of the neural connections is characterized by the accumulation of a protein called tau in nearly half of the cases with bvFTD.
As a mechanism to counteract the neurodegeneration caused by tau buildup, this protein is a prominent focus for study in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's and other dementias.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is defined as the loss of intellectual performance, including thinking, recalling, and reasoning, to the point that it interferes with a person's everyday life and activities.
Some dementia patients are unable to manage their emotions, and their personalities may shift, as per National Institute of Aging.
Dementia progresses in intensity from moderate to severe, with the mildest stage affecting a person's functioning the least and the most severe requiring the person to rely entirely on others for fundamental daily functions.
Dementia becomes more frequent as individuals age (approximately one-third of persons aged 85 and older may have some kind of dementia), but it is not a natural component of the aging process.
Many people live well into their 90s and beyond without showing any indications of dementia.
People with intellectual and developmental impairments can acquire dementia as they age, and detecting their symptoms can be very challenging.
It's critical to examine a person's existing abilities and to keep an eye out for changes over time that might indicate dementia.
The causes of Alzheimer's and associated dementias differ depending on the sort of brain abnormalities that occur.
While research has discovered that specific abnormalities in the brain are associated with particular types of dementia, the fundamental reasons are unclear in the majority of instances.
Rare genetic mutations may result in dementia in a limited proportion of people.
Related article: Scientists Engineered Baker's Yeast to Produce Treatment Drugs for Dementia
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