Research for the Future

The National Institutes of Health’s Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention Initiative
was organized to investigate pharmacological interventions and to
identify factors that will assist in early recognition of AD and delay the development of AD. A collaborative association with federal and private agencies
has allowed for diverse investigations that include biologic and epidemiologic
research; instrument development to identify high-risk individuals, facilitating
clinical trials; and researching alternate strategies to treat behavioral
disturbances in AD patients.
New drugs to reduce symptoms of AD are being studied in clinical trials.
Other research is being done to identify factors related to patients’ and caregivers’
coping and stress as well as support mechanisms in dealing with progressive
nature of AD.