Why the Discovery of LATE Dementia Is Important

Jul 26, 2019 / Amanda Chase, Horsesmouth Assistant Editor

Researchers recently pinpointed another form of cognitive decline with many of the same hallmarks as Alzheimer’s, but which actually involves different brain processes. This newly discovered dementia may partly explain why some people haven’t been helped by current Alzheimer’s drugs or why some drugs being tested haven’t been as successful as scientists have hoped.

The disorder, dubbed “LATE,” stands for limbic-predominate age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy. Like Alzheimer’s, LATE affects short-term memory and causes cognitive impairment. It also shares some of the same disease traits as frontotemporal dementia. However, LATE affects a different brain protein than those associated with Alzheimer’s and mostly occurs in people older than 80, according to a working paper developed by researchers at the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging.

For now, determining whether someone may have the LATE form of dementia is more a process of elimination than a definitive diagnosis, after testing eliminates conditions like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. The lack of diagnostic tools will have a massive impact on our public health system, one of the authors says. “It’s causing so much strain, not only on patients, but on the caretakers; it’s brutal,” he says. “It’s something we really need to address.”

In the meantime, what can you do if you suspect a client or loved one may have LATE rather than Alzheimer’s dementia? If you feel that person isn’t responding well to a medication for Alzheimer’s, don’t be afraid to question whether it could be something else, another author says. And, he cautions, existing Alzheimer’s therapies can only slow progress of the disease in some people; they can’t prevent or cure it.

Read the full article at Next Avenue.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE
This material is provided exclusively for use by individuals with an active license to the Savvy Social Security Planning Program. Use of this material is subject to the Social Security Planning Program Agreement and applicable copyright laws. Unauthorized use, reproduction or distribution of this material is a violation of federal law and punishable by civil and criminal penalty. This material is furnished “as is” without warranty of any kind. Its accuracy and completeness is not guaranteed and all warranties express or implied are hereby excluded.

© 2024 Horsesmouth, LLC. All Rights Reserved.