Breaking news, publications and research updates related to funding, advocacy, scientific advances and information about FTD, Alzheimer’s, dementia and related disorders
MGH FTD Unit Launches From Care to Cure Podcast
The MGH FTD Unit is excited to share that we are launching From Care to Cure, a podcast exploring care for a life lived with frontotemporal disorders, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Our first season will feature host Katie Brandt, Director of [...]
MGH FTD Unit celebrates FDA approval of donanemab
Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved donanemab for the treatment of people living with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, which includes mild cognitive impairment and the mild dementia stage of Alzheimer’s disease, with confirmed amyloid plaques.
Noche de Cine – Movie Night and Discussion about Early-Onset Dementia
Thursday, April 25, 2024
5:30 - 7:30 PM EST
Dawn of a new era: Lecanemab infusions begin at MGH
Today the first MGH patients received lecanemab infusions for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. We have been working diligently with our colleagues at the Brigham to develop uniform procedures for identifying the appropriate candidates for this new class of treatment, [...]
MGH FTD Unit praises change in Medicare coverage of amyloid PET scans
Medicare lifted the requirement that FDA-approved amyloid PET scans would only be covered if they were performed as part of a clinical trial, now enabling them to be ordered and interpreted in routine clinical practice when a person is being evaluated for possible [...]
MGH FTD Unit applauds FDA approval of lecanemab
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration converted Leqembi (lecanemab), indicated to treat adult patients with Alzheimer’s Disease, to traditional approval following a determination that a confirmatory trial verified clinical benefit. Leqembi is the first amyloid [...]
Alzheimer’s Association Welcomes FDA Approval of Aducanumab
On behalf of those impacted by Alzheimer’s disease, the Alzheimer’s Association enthusiastically welcomes today’s historic FDA approval of aducanumab (Biogen/Eisai) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
NIA statement on FDA approval of aducanumab for Alzheimer’s disease
The FDA’s approval of the Biogen-Eisai drug, aducanumab, marks a milestone achievement in Alzheimer’s disease research. This drug is the first approved treatment shown to slow the progression of this disease. It is also a reflection of the years of research and momentum [...]
Tony Bennett’s Battle With Alzheimer’s
Tony Bennett has Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of age-related dementia. Alzheimer's is characterized by a progressive memory loss that robs its sufferers of many of the gifts that we all take for granted — speech, understanding, treasured memories, [...]
Dr. Fauci Discusses COVID-19 Vaccine, Dementia Care with NAPA Council, an Interview with Katie Brandt
Dr. Anthony Fauci talked about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine as it relates to persons with dementia during a January 25 meeting of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) Advisory Council. Dr. Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and [...]
National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services Meeting Announcement
The next meeting of the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services will be held on January 25, 2021, from 1:00pm to 4:30pm EST. The meeting, due to COVID-19, will be virtual and webcast at http://www.hhs.gov/live. During the January 25, 2021, meeting [...]
Recommendations to reduce disparities in dementia care due in 2021
Final recommendations on ways to reduce disparities in dementia, which were developed during a stakeholder roundtable sponsored by the Milken Institute Alliance to Improve Dementia Care, will be released in the first quarter of 2021, Nora Super, executive director of [...]
Atypical forms of dementia are being diagnosed more often in people in their 50s and 60s
No one knows why these diseases start in specific regions of the brain but we think it is influenced by the normal organization of brain networks,” said Bradford Dickerson, a behavioral neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and co-principal investigator in the [...]
The First Alzheimer’s Blood Test Is Now Commercially Available
The first-ever commercial Alzheimer’s blood test is on the market. It’s big progress. Some experts have reservations because it hasn’t yet secured FDA approval, among other limitations. While Alzheimer’s is among the top six leading causes of death in the United States [...]
To Manage Dementia Well, Start with the Caregivers
When Kate Sieloff’s husband, Karl, began acting strange, she didn’t know where to turn. Her hard-working, affectionate spouse was suddenly having fits of anger and aggression. He stopped paying the bills. Karl, 56 at the time, was an engineer at General Motors, where [...]