152 – Inside Alzheimer’s Research: New Medications and Innovative Care

In This Episode:

Dr. K speaks with Alzheimer’s expert Jason Karlawish, MD, Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center, about the new anti-amyloid Alzheimer’s medications lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla). Learn how biomarkers and other new developments have revolutionized the diagnosing of Alzheimer’s disease, and how these newer medications are being used to treat Alzheimer’s.

They cover:

• New Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease
• Understanding Alzheimer’s vs Dementia
• The Evolution of Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
• The Role of Biomarkers in Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
• How Alzheimer’s Progresses Over Time
• Stages of Dementia
• Older Medications to Treat Alzheimer’s
• New Anti-Amyloid Drugs to Treat Alzheimer’s
• About Aducanumab (Aduhelm)
• Lecanemab (Leqembi) and Donanemab (Kisunla)
• How Effective Are the New Treatments?
• The Studies of Anti-Amyloids On Different Sub-groups
• Experiences at The Penn Memory Center
• Do These Work for Mixed Dementia or Difficult Behaviors?
• Can These Help with Aging in Place?
• Also Important for Alzheimer’s Treatment
• Resources

Related episode: 

• 151 – How Memory Medications Like Donepezil and Memantine Work

Related Resources:

• Penn Memory Center
  • Video: An Update on Anti-Amyloid Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease
  • The Age of Aging Podcast
• Alzheimers.gov
• BHWA: How to Understand the Stages of Alzheimer’s & Related Dementias
• MCI, Alzheimer’s and Dementia. What’s the Difference?
• 4 Most Common Types of Dementia in Aging
• Zarit Burden Interview
• NEJM: Lecanemab in Early Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Related lecanemab forest plots (see figure S1 B)
• JAMA: Donanemab in Early Symptomatic Alzheimer Disease: The TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 Randomized Clinical Trial