The Search For Therapies: Alzheimers
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
The search for therapies
This is an exciting time in Alzheimer's research. You may have heard or read about a variety of therapies on the horizon, some in the form of new drugs that may be able to cure the disease by blocking the chain of events that underlie its destructive process. Still, while scientists believe they are finally beginning to close in on this elusive disease, a cure is years away.
There is currently no treatment that prevents or stops cognitive deterioration. Available medications can only alleviate symptoms temporarily. The hope and expectation is that ongoing research efforts will yield therapies that bring about better, longer-lasting improvements in memory and other cognitive functions.
A number of medication options do exist for behavior problems, such as outbursts of anger, which sometimes develop in someone with Alzheimer's. These are best used in conjunction with environmental changes, such as simplifying the home environment (see "Techniques for living with someone with Alzheimer's disease").
| Last updated: | January 23, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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