New Alzheimer’s study to focus on children

As the number of new Alzheimer’s cases balloons to a projected 14 million by 2050, the Medical School is establishing the nation’s first comprehensive research study of children of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, along with its primary sponsor, the Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual Life Foundation, has begun enrolling up to 500 children of people with Alzheimer’s.

The Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention will track participants over a 10-year period and conduct genetic, epidemiologic and clinical studies aimed at finding better treatments that may prevent the disease.

Armed with knowledge of genetic factors linked to Alzheimer’s, WAI director Mark Sager says this type of research could pay major dividends.

“Our goal is to develop interventions and to understand those factors that influence the progression of the disease in people without symptoms,” Sager says. “This research will be conducted similar to the way scientists evaluated the role of hypertension and high cholesterol in developing heart disease. It will attempt to find those most susceptible to the disease and treat them in a manner to prevent or delay it from developing.”

The 500 participants will have the opportunity to voluntarily participate in different studies.

“This is very exciting research and we are happy to be playing a role in an initiative that could potentially redefine how we treat Alzheimer’s,” says Rebekah Barsch, vice president of the Northwestern Mutual Life Foundation. “It is our hope that over time, through this research we will begin to understand the key risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s disease.”

Modern imaging technology will allow researchers to look at the brains of people who are asymptomatic, enabling them to identify changes in the brains of those at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease within a relative a short period of time.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, and the most common form of dementia. About 4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease.

A national survey conducted in 1993 indicates that approximately 19 million Americans say they have a family member with Alzheimer’s, and 37 million know someone with the disease. It is estimated that health care for Alzheimer’s in the U.S. costs more then $150 billion a year.