A New Year's recap: The twelve trends of Alzheimer's

Planning to cover dementia research this year? Before the 12 Days of Christmas are over, bone up on the most compelling research trends of 2012 by reading Alzforum's roundup. It covers everything from surprising gene discoveries and drug trial results to the intricate biology of Alzheimer's and government research support. Plus, you'll find some of the big stories to watch for in 2013. Divided into 12 themes that link to in-depth Alzforum articles, this digest sums up the latest and will prepare you for just about any development in the coming year.

Some of 2012's biggest news revolved around antibodies scientists are developing to attack the principal pathological hallmark of the disease—Aβ. Two big contenders—solanezumab and bapineuzumab—missed their main treatment goals, but solanezumab seemed to slow decline in patients who still only had a mild form of the disease. These results hinted that application at even earlier stages of Alzheimer's could potentially work. Scientists have put the wheels in motion to test if antibodies can prevent dementia in normal people at high risk for the disease.

An important research and diagnostic tool also hit the clinic this year. The Aβ plaque tracer Amyvid—which picks up amyloid in brain scans—received FDA approval. The regulatory nod came with a host of issues—who should be scanned, who will pay for it, and what can it tell us?

Alzforum news spanned other neurodegenerative disorders, too. For instance, scientists have developed a better understanding of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a progressive disorder seen in football players, soldiers, and others who have received repeated blows to the head. Read about these and other stories in "Alzforum's Top 12 of 2012 www.alzforum.org/new/detail.asp?id=3362." .

Provided by Alzheimer Research Forum Foundation