Although genetics has been linked to only one form of early-onset Alzheimer’s diseaseand accounts for only a small percentage of patients overall, researchers will soon begin a five-year clinical trial among this population, reports the New York Times. Three hundred members of a large family living in and around Medellín, Colombia are known to have a genetic mutation that results in declines in cognitive impairment beginning around age 45.
Part of the federal government’s national agendato prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease, the clinical trial will administer a drug to people who do not yet show signs of impairment. The study is planned to last five years at a cost of $100 million, but some researchers are hopeful that sophisticated tests will indicate whether or not the drug has efficacy in as little as two years.
