Alzheimer's and Dementia | 60 Minutes Full Episodes

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A 10-year progression of Alzheimer's (00:00:11)

Mike and Carol Daly, married for 53 years, are both dealing with dementia, specifically Alzheimer's disease.
Carol's declining memory led to her losing her job and her ability to perform daily tasks, such as cooking and reading.
Mike, a former New York City cop, became Carol's caregiver, providing daily assistance and personal care despite the emotional toll it took on him.
As Carol's condition worsened, she lost the ability to speak coherently and control her physical abilities, requiring constant care from Mike.
Caregiving for someone with Alzheimer's can be emotionally and financially challenging, leading to stress, anxiety, and depression in caregivers.
Music therapy can temporarily revive faded memories in Alzheimer's patients by tapping into their emotional system.
As the disease progresses, patients may require 24-hour assistance, leading to financial strain and social isolation for caregivers.
Suicidal thoughts are not uncommon among caregivers due to the immense burden of caregiving.
Nursing home placement may become necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals with advanced Alzheimer's.
Open discussions about caregiving decisions should occur while the individual is still able to participate, ensuring their wishes are considered.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a degenerative brain disease that primarily affects Americans under the age of 60.
Unlike Alzheimer's, which affects memory, FTD attacks the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, leading to bizarre behavior or loss of self-recognition.
Tracy Lind, a former Episcopal cathedral dean, and her spouse Emily have become advocates, raising awareness about FTD and sharing their experiences publicly.
Dr. Bruce Miller, a leading expert on FTD, conducts research on the two main forms of the disease: the speech variant and the behavioral variant that affects personality and empathy.
FTD can drastically change a person's behavior, leading to a loss of interest in loved ones and activities, as seen in Thomas Cox's case.
The disease profoundly impacts families, as they struggle to recognize their loved ones and cope with the changes caused by FTD.
Research is ongoing, with promising interventions and therapies that may stop the progression of certain variants of FTD in the next five years.
Caregivers of FTD patients suffer as much as the patients themselves, and the hardest part is often the loss of the relationship.
The financial burden of caring for FTD patients is significant, and suitable care facilities are often hard to find.

A rare genetic mutation in Antioquia, Colombia, causes individuals to develop a highly aggressive form of Alzheimer's disease in their mid-40s, leading to death about a decade later.
Neurologist Francisco Lera and nurse Lucia Madrigal discovered the genetic link after investigating a cluster of cases and tracing family trees.
The affected families share common ancestors who died young from "softening of the brain."
A multi-million dollar NIH-backed study is underway in Antioquia to determine if Alzheimer's disease can be prevented.
A specific mutation in a gene on chromosome 14 was identified as the cause of the early-onset Alzheimer's in the Colombian families.
The discovery led to the identification of the largest concentration of early-onset Alzheimer's cases in the world.
Individuals with the identified mutation are certain to develop Alzheimer's disease.
The affected families face a difficult decision of whether to undergo genetic testing due to the lack of available treatments and the emotional burden of knowing their risk.
The discovery of the gene mutation provides hope for future research and potential treatments, as it allows for the identification of individuals at high risk of developing Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, affecting over 5 million Americans and projected to nearly triple by midcentury.
Unlike many other leading killers, there is no effective treatment for Alzheimer's, leading to a slow decline in memory, spatial skills, and thinking abilities.
Early-onset Alzheimer's patients, like those in a Colombian family studied by Dr. Ken KK, offer researchers a unique opportunity to test interventions before symptoms start and potentially halt the disease's progression.
Current Alzheimer's research focuses on understanding the relationship between amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, as these abnormalities are associated with the disease.
Pharmaceutical companies have invested significant resources in developing drugs to remove amyloid plaques, but clinical trials have largely failed, suggesting that targeting amyloid alone may not be the right approach or that earlier intervention is necessary.
Researchers are exploring the possibility of early treatment in individuals with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's, such as the Colombian family where the onset and inheritance of the disease can be predicted.
A multi-million dollar drug trial is underway to test an immunotherapy drug that aims to remove amyloid plaque in 300 members of the extended Colombian family.
The study has enrolled all its participants and received additional funding of $4.8 million from the NIH for the next five years.

Dr. Ali Rai, a renowned neuroscientist, is pioneering a revolutionary ultrasound technique to combat Alzheimer's disease.
The experimental treatment involves using ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier, allowing drugs to reach the affected areas of the brain more effectively.
Current FDA-approved drugs for Alzheimer's, such as Aduhelm and Leqembi, face challenges in crossing the blood-brain barrier, limiting their effectiveness.
Dr. Rai's early results have shown promise in slowing down cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients.
Focused ultrasound is also being used to treat brain disorders such as essential tremor.
In 2019, Dr. Rai's team successfully treated essential tremor in a patient named Dan Wall using ultrasound.
Alzheimer's patient Dan Miller experienced a 50% reduction in beta-amyloid plaque in his brain after receiving antibody infusion therapy plus ultrasound treatment.
Dr. Rai's team is conducting another study to determine if ultrasound can reverse the damage caused by Alzheimer's.
Dr. Rai is also using ultrasound to help people suffering from drug addiction.

Dr. Rai, a renowned neuroscientist, has dedicated 25 years to pioneering surgical techniques and therapies used worldwide, including revolutionary treatments for addiction.
Dr. Rai developed a new type of brain surgery to treat severe addiction, adapting technology initially used for Parkinson's disease. The surgery involves implanting electrodes in specific parts of the brain associated with addiction, targeting electrical and chemical abnormalities caused by recurrent drug use.
Jared Buckhalter, a former high school football standout, became addicted to painkillers after a shoulder injury and struggled with addiction for over 15 years. He became the first addiction patient in the US to receive the brain implant, expressing hope for a better life and reduced cravings.
Dr. Rai is also developing a non-invasive method using focused ultrasound to treat addiction without surgery. Initial results from the focused ultrasound treatment show a significant decrease in cravings and anxiety.
Dr. Rai's research has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of addiction and other brain disorders, offering new hope for millions of people.