Degenerative Brain Diseases

An emerging need for a digital brain backup

The Challenge of Neurodegenerative Diseases

neurodiscovery.harvard.edu

Neurodegenerative diseases occur when nervous system cells (neurons) in the brain and spinal cord begin to deteriorate. Changes in these cells cause them to function abnormally and eventually result in the cells' demise. As neurons deteriorate, an individual may first experience relatively mild symptoms — problems with coordination or remembering names. But as huge numbers of neurons die, symptoms progressively worsen. In some cases, patients lose the ability to walk independently, think clearly, or generally function in the world. Ultimately, many of these diseases are fatal.

Today, 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease; 1 million from Parkinson's; 400,000 from multiple sclerosis (MS); 30,000 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), and 30,000 from Huntington's disease. Because neurodegenerative diseases strike primarily in mid-to late-life, the incidence is expected to soar as the population ages. (By 2030, as many as 1 in 5 Americans will be over the age of 65.) If left unchecked 30 years from now, more than 12 million Americans will suffer from neurodegenerative diseases. Finding treatments and cures for neurodegenerative diseases is a goal of increasing urgency.

In recent years, scientists of the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center and many others have made great strides in understanding the underlying causes of neurodegenerative diseases. As we uncover more details of these diseases, we are confident that in time we will be able to treat and prevent them. But as for most major endeavors, the greater the resources we bring to bear, the faster the progress toward our goal. If — as a community — we want to avoid the looming and dramatic impact of these diseases on our increasingly elderly population, we must all redouble our efforts, now.

Alzheimer's disease (AD)

Ten percent of Americans over 65 years of age (5.1 million individuals) suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). By 2050, aging baby boomers will cause that number to reach 16 million!

AD first presents with forgetfulness but soon develops into a more severe and debilitating disorder including confusion, personality changes, anxiousness, irritability, and severe memory and intellectual disturbances. Eventually, patients no longer function normally. The average Alzheimer's patient dies about 8 to 12 years after the initial diagnosis. It is particularly difficult for family and friends to watch helplessly as the patient loses all sense of identity and their place in the world.

Prevalence and incidence of Alzheimer's disease in Europe: A meta-analysis

Results: The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in Europe was estimated at 5.05% (95% CI, 4.73-5.39). The prevalence in men was 3.31% (95% CI, 2.85-3.80) and in women, 7.13% (95% CI, 6.56-7.72), and increased with age. The incidence of Alzheimer's disease in Europe was 11.08 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 10.30-11.89). Broken down by sex, it was 7.02 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 6.06-8.05) in men and 13.25 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 12.05-14.51) in women; again these rates increased with age.

Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Treatments for AD

Current Alzheimer's treatments temporarily improve symptoms of memory loss and problems with thinking and reasoning.

These Alzheimer's treatments boost the performance of chemicals in the brain that carry information from one brain cell to another. However, these treatments don't stop the underlying decline and death of brain cells. As more cells die, Alzheimer's disease continues to progress.