What the trial was testing
The LEV-AD enrolled 34 patients with alzheimer's disease. The study was sponsored by University of Minnesota and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was initial testing (phase 2). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
The pill improved test scores in Alzheimer's patients with abnormal brain activity.
JAMA neurology · 2021 · NCT02002819
These findings — that patients with abnormal brain activity scored better on memory and executive function — were published in the JAMA neurology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 34 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with alzheimer's disease, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This pill is already FDA-approved for seizures, so some doctors prescribe it off-label for Alzheimer's patients. This was an early-stage study, but it suggests the treatment might help if you have abnormal electrical activity in your brain. Ask your neurologist whether a test to check for this activity and a trial of this medication might make sense for you.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open alzheimer's disease trials
Exercise to Improve Brain Health in Older African Americans
The goal of this clinical trial is to test the effects of different types of exercise on brain health and Alzheimer's risk in older African Americans. Specifically, the main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: * What is the effect of a Cardio-Dance Fitness (CDF) vs. a Strength, Flexibility, and Balance (SFB) intervention on a cognitive marker of Alzheimer's risk, generalization? * What is the effect of the CDF vs. SFB intervention on a fMRI biomarker of Alzheimer's, neural flexibility, and do improvements in neural flexibility mediate improvements in generalization? * Do ABCA7 genotypic variations moderate the efficacy of the CDF vs. SFB intervention for reducing Alzheimer's risk? Participants will undergo-- at baseline and post-test-- health assessments, cognitive tests, and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and a blood-draw to assess Alzheimer's risk biomarker levels.
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Treatment In Patients With Alzheimer's Disease
An open label pilot study in mild to moderate AD patients to assess the effects of treatment with ECHS AD pulsed electromagnetic treatment device on disease progression. Enrolled patients will receive active devices. They will treat themselves at home three times a day for 15 minutes over 120 days. Primary end points are the The Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale and the Mini-Mental State Exam. Participants will be followed-up for 9 months post-treatment.