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Research
(back)
Local
Studies
Research is important where-ever it occurs, but when it occurs close to home there are additional benefits. It allows for access to promising new treatments earlier. It provides for an enhanced educational opportunity for local health care providers and attracts people with new ideas to the province. Here are some profiles of Alzheimer research happening right here in Manitoba. Dr. Ben Albensi Not many people can say they have been involved in one
of the longest research studies in Canadian history. Since 1996,
Madelyn Hall has worked as a research associate for the Aging in
Manitoba study (AIM), a study that originally began in 1971. "The AIM study is the longest continuous study of aging
in Canada and it’s the only longitudinal study that combines personal
interview data and complete health utilization data," says Hall. When the study began in 1976, there was little known
about the needs of older adults in Manitoba and the resources that were
available to them. The AIM study was created with those issues in mind,
and focused on nine scales of need. These included everything from a
person’s health and functional status to care and social networks. Hall
says that almost 9,000 people have participated in the study. The study included a random based sample of individuals,
aged 60 and over, says Hall. There were interviews and re-interviews
conducted from 1971 to 2001. These interviews tracked what was
happening in the lives of the interviewees, such as how healthcare
decisions were affecting their lives. They also used data from doctor
and hospital visits, to see how participants’ health changed over the
years. "If all that evidence isn’t available, then policy
makers won’t have the information needed to make valid decisions
affecting the lives of older adults across Manitoba," says Hall. The AIM study has yielded some very significant
findings. An excerpt from an A.I.M. Fact Sheet says "The needs of older
Manitobans’ have increased since 1971 in all areas except finances and
availability of resources (AIM 1998)." Another startling finding was
that "Social isolation is more likely for older people who feel their
health is poor or who have more than four chronic illnesses (Hall and
Havens 1999.)" Among several studies that have begun as a result of
AIM, one study is looking at issues surrounding people who have been
diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder. "We’re not only tracking the incidence and prevalence of
dementia, but we want to see if those individuals also have problems
with mobility, etc. We want to find out what impact dementia has on
their lives, and what impact other aspects of their lives have on their
conditions." Hall says the information from this and other studies
will be sent to seniors groups and organizations, to policy makers and
to the public. "We’re hoping these studies make an impact on the
individual, and on the way we deliver services to older people. We want
people to know aging is positive, and we’re hoping to make a positive
influence on the lives of older Manitobans." updated January 2003 Memory Disorders Clinic-Study Have you, or has someone you know, been diagnosed with
Alzheimer's disease? Are you between the ages of 40 and 85? If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms,
you may qualify to participate in a research study for a new drug for
Alzheimer's disease: Qualified participants will receive study-related
material evaluations and investigational medication at no cost. For more information on this study, please call the
Memory Disorders Clinic at the Winnipeg Clinic at 957-3211. updated October 2003 Dr. Gordon Glazner
Dr. Gordon Glazner is an Assistant Professor in
Pharmacology at the
University of Manitoba, and is also the Principal Investigator in the
Division
of Neuroscience at the St. Boniface Research Centre. He is currently
studying
how a protein called Ameliod Beta kills cells, and is trying to find a
way to
stop that from happening so that he can prevent the onset of Alzheimer's
disease. His research involves a specialized part of the cell
called Endoplasmic
Reticulum (ER) that controls protein traffic and communicates the
cell’s
condition. The Ameliod Beta protein stresses the ER of the cell, and
the ER
sends signals to the cell to commit suicide. "We know that when the ER is stressed, cells will die,"
says Dr.
Glazner. "What is not known are the steps between the ER getting
stressed
and the death of the cell. We know that it happens, now we need to find
out how
it happens." The second aspect of his research is to inhibit the cell
from producing
Ameliod Beta so the stress to the cell can be avoided. "The Ameliod Beta is what causes the plaques (in the
brains of people
with Alzheimer Disease) that kills the cell. If we are able to inhibit
the
production of the Ameliod Beta protein, then we will be able to prevent
Alzheimer's disease." Dr. Glazner is in his second year of a two-year grant
being funded by the
Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, the Alzheimer Society of Canada,
AstraZeneca, and
the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This year the
Alzheimer
Society of Manitoba has committed over $240,000 to fund research
approved by the
National Research Program of the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Dr. Glazner's research is performed at the St. Boniface
General Hospital Research Centre. updated April 2003 |
"Many studies have been done to test the effectiveness of products
such as vitamin E, vitamin B, and gingko biloba in preventing Alzheimer's
disease. Mostly the findings are inconclusive, however research in
this area is ongoing.
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