Study gives hope for more progress fighting dementia

A team of experts will explain recent advances in prevention, early detection and treatment at three upcoming L.A.-area conferences

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DR. DUNG TRINH, a researcher at Healthy Brain Clinic, sits under paintings by Alzheimer's patients.

Like a lot of people my age, there are times when I can't find my keys, or my sunglasses, or my phone.

Now and again, I'll get an idea to look something up, reach for my computer, and forget what it was.

Normal aging?

Signs of cognitive impairment?

I'm not sure, but if you have similar questions about yourself or a loved one, and you'd like to know when to get help and what's available, you can get answers at three upcoming conferences hosted by Alzheimer's Los Angeles (details below). An A-Team of experts will explain recent advances in prevention, early detection and treatment.

There are no cures yet for dementia, an umbrella term for cognitive disorders, of which Alzheimer's is the most common. But thanks to advances in recent years, drugs can treat some symptoms of mild and even moderate impairment, and with the number of dementia cases in the U.S. expected to double by 2060 as the population ages and people live longer, there's hope for progress.

There's been "a dramatic increase in the number of clinical trials testing new therapies," said Heather Cooper Ortner, president and chief executive of Alzheimer's Los Angeles. There's ongoing research into drugs that might “enhance cognition or treat challenging behaviors like agitation, depression, hallucinations, and other neuro-psychiatric or behavioral symptoms.”

In just the last few months, doctors were encouraged by FDA approval in May of a blood test that can help with early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, and with growing evidence that lifestyle choices can improve mental acuity.

“This happens to be a very exciting time,” said Dr. David Reuben, director of the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care program. “I just gave a talk on the state of dementia in 2025, and most of what we're talking about, 10 years ago would have been fiction.”