Arthritis-Medication Treatments for Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's is caused by the degeneration of your brain cells. While there is no cure for the disease, most medication treatments try to improve signs and symptoms experienced with the disease. In 2006, a new use for the arthritis medication etanercept was used by Dr. Edward Tobinick for the treatment of Alzheimer's patients. Fifteen patients were examined in an initial-pilot study, which showed drastic results in the patients.

• Interior of the Human Brain

What Is Etanercept

• According to Dr. Edward Tobinick and his colleague, Dr. Hyman Gross, in the "Journal of Neuroinflammation," the use of etanercept was originally approved by the FDA in 1998 for rheumatoid arthritis. Etanercept was designed to block what is known as tumor necrosis factor. TNF is a type of chemical that is produced when you have arthritis, and causes the swelling and pain associated with arthritis. Etanercept reduces any swelling and painful symptoms associated with arthritis.

Pilot Studies

• Dr. Tobinick used etanercept as a method of treating Alzhemier's in 15 patients over a course of six months. The medication was injected into the spine of the patients' necks. After receiving an injection, patients were made to sit in an upright position, which allowed the drug to be delivered to the brain quicker. Patients who received the treatment had Alzheimer's symptoms ranging from moderate to severe. After receiving treatment, patients showed a surprisingly rapid improvement in symptoms.

Case Example

• One of Dr. Tobinick's case study was an 81-year-old gentleman who was presented with Alzheimer's. The gentleman was an otherwise healthy individual, though he did show signs of Alzheimer's, such as not being able to remember the date or city in which he lived. According to Dr. Tobinick, within 10 minutes of receiving treatment, the patient showed rapid cognitive improvements. The elderly man was able to recite the year, city in which he lived, was more aware of surroundings, and was able to answer questions without a delayed response. Even after a week of receiving only one treatment, the patient's wife and son had noticed marked improvements in the patient's cognitive abilities.

Downsides of Study

• Since the initial pilot study was conducted on only a few patients (three of which were excluded due to severe dementia symptoms), it is believed that the use of etanercept may provide false hopes for those suffering from Alzheimer's. Some researchers also feel that since Dr. Tobinick has a patent on the use of etanercept for Alzheimer's treatments, there may be a financial motivation behind his methods. There also haven't been enough studies conducted on the use of etanercept to offer any conclusive evidence on what the long-term use of the medication may provide.

Further Studies

• In "Technology Review," provided by MIT, TNF (or tumor necrosis factor) develops in your brain naturally. Those who have Alzheimer's have an increased level of TNF. Any excessive levels of TNF within your brain can cause brain-cell damage and a disconnection of electrical wiring within your brain. Larger scale studies for the use of etanercept to interrupt the production of TNF within Alzheimer's patients are needed to show how much of an impact this medication will have on the future of Alzheimer's research.