Even though recent experimental treatments haven’t produced any new drugs, they still have helped researchers learn more about the brain and the disease, Snyder said. Scientists are starting to understand that a person’s brain starts to change about a decade or so before they’re diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
“We are absolutely committed to making sure no stone is left unturned and that all avenues are pursued,” Snyder said. “We are optimistic that as our understanding of the science continues to grow and go forward, our ability to both target the different biologies but also combining some of those pieces together expands.”
The Borghoff’s called a family meeting Thursday night. Jeff, positive as always, said he wanted to find another clinical trial to enroll in so he could help scientists find a treatment or a cure that might help his kids or grandkids.
Kim wants him to try medical marijuana or CBD oil. She hopes these options might quell the anxiety and anger Jeff increasingly experiences. However, neither have been approved by the FDA to treat or manage Alzheimer’s or other dementias, nor have they been evaluated in clinical trials. It’s also unclear how people with dementia would respond to the psychoactive effects of marijuana or how it would interact with the other drugs used to treat the desease.
“I’m still looking at all of the possibilities and all of the angles. I’m of the philosophy that a box has six sides and I can only see three sides at a time,” Jeff Borghoff said. “There are other perspectives to look at and other things to take into consideration.”
Be the first to comment