According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and that number is projected to increase to about 14 million people by 2050. The cost of care and treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia will rise to $226 billion this year according to the Alzheimer’s Association, and that’s expected to grow to $1.1 trillion by 2050.
The disease will have a disproportionate impact on Florida which ranks only behind California in the number of diagnosed cases. Now, the Neuropsychiatric Research Center of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers is preparing to recruit patients for an expanded clinical trial in what could become a milestone in the treatment of the disease. Biogen recently announced results of a small study into a treatment that, for the first time, can slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Staff at the center join us for a conversation about Southwest Florida’s involvement in this potential new treatment, the need for Alzheimer’s research funding, the role of art and music therapy in treating dementia, and barriers to effective treatment.
Guests:
Angel Duncan, M.A., L.M.F.T, Director of Research Education at the Neuropsychiatric Research Center of Southwest Florida
Frederick Schaerf, M.D., Ph.D., Principal Investigator with the Neuropsychiatric Research Center of Southwest Florida
