Health
Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders seeks study volunteers with Alzheimer’s disease
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Nov 19, 2008 - 6:12 AM

ICARA Study to evaluate safety and effectiveness of an investigational drug for controlling progression of Alzheimer’s disease

The Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders is participating in ICARA (Investigational Clinical Amyloid Research in Alzheimer’s) – an international clinical study to learn if an investigational drug can help control the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. In total, approximately 2050 patients will be enrolled at research sites in North America.

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of memory and cognitive function. It destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect everyday life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, affecting approximately 18 million people worldwide. Alzheimer’s-related medical complications are among the most common causes of death in the elderly population.

“Our goal is to explore if this investigational drug can help control the progression of Alzheimer’s. Most current therapies for Alzheimer’s treat the symptoms associated with it and not the disease itself,” said Dr. Danna Jennings, Principal Investigator at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders. “It is important for patients and families affected by Alzheimer’s to consider participating in clinical studies. Clinical studies that test new treatments are the best chance we have for fighting this disease.”

Participants for the ICARA study must be between 50 and 88 years of age, have a diagnosis of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and have a caregiver who is willing to be involved in the study. A medical team including a nurse or study coordinator and a physician will monitor participants throughout the study.

Danna Jennings, MD is Clinical Research Director at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders. She received her medical degree from Oregon Health & Science University, received her training in Neurology from Boston University, and completed a movement disorders fellowship at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. She was a teaching faculty member in the department of neurology at Yale University prior to her position at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders. Dr. Jennings has been an active member of the Parkinson's Study Group, the Huntington Study Group and the Dystonia Study Group. She has served as investigator on over 15 clinical trials aimed at the development of improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative conditions. Dr. Jennings' specific research interests include the development of accurate diagnostic tests to detect changes in the brain that may occur even prior to symptoms in neurodegenerative conditions.

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