Many of the objects in your household can be repurposed. Creative homemakers turn picture frames into serving trays or bulletin boards into jewelry organizers. Repurposing is a facet that society and the medicinal community share–medicinal drugs are often repurposed as well. The most recent discovery? Atypical antiepileptic levetiracetam has been found to delay the progression of Alzheimer’s in patients.
A research team at Johns Hopkins University has discovered that the drug atypical antiepileptic levetiracetam, usually used to treat epilepsy, can be used to calm hyperactivity in the brain for patients with increased risk for Alzheimer’s. The patients that are affected by this medication have a condition called amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Patients with this condition possess symptoms of memory impairment considered excessive for their age, but have not yet been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
But how could a drug used to treat epilepsy be repurposed to treat Alzheimer’s?
Epilepsy is a disorder in which patients experience seizures due to abnormal electrical impulses in the brain. Atypical antiepileptic levetiracetam is an epilepsy drug used to prevent seizures in patients suffering from this disease. The medication travels to the brain by reducing the electrical activity of the neurons causing the seizure.
On the other hand, Alzheimer’s is a debilitating disease in which patients suffer memory loss and symptoms of dementia. Over time, the disease progresses; in late-stage Alzheimer’s, patients will eventually lose the ability to respond to their surroundings. The onset of Alzheimer’s and a decrease in normal brain function have been linked to hyperactivity in the hippocampus, a region of the brain in which new memories are stored. Hippocampal volume loss has also been associated with the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease drastically decreases the hippocampal volume in a patients brain. Therefore, atypical antiepileptic levetiracetam, which serves to reduce over-activity in the hippocampus, holds a dual purpose in combating both epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.
In the double blind study by the Johns Hopkins research team, 84 participants with an average age of 70 participated. Seventeen of the patients possessed normal brain function, while 67 displayed symptoms of aMCI. After taking the medication, many of the patients found that they were able to better recall images previously shown to them. Through MRIs of the patients’ brains, researchers found that very low concentrations of the drug administered to the patients reduced hippocampal hyperactivity and therefore improved memory function.
Image Source: MedicalRF.com
According to neuroscientist Michela Gallagher, the lead author of the study, the study shows that the medication in low doses “reduces this [hippocampal] over-activity”. At the same time, it improves memory performance on a task that depends on the hippocampus.”
Following the drug’s effectiveness in reducing early on-stage Alzheimer’s, the research team is working to determine whether or not the drug can have similar results in late-stage Alzheimer’s or even prevent the disease.
With over 5 million people living with Alzheimer’s, this drug could signify a potential breakthrough in the field of medicine. This antiepileptic drug provides hope to those possessing Alzheimer’s or those with loved ones suffering from this disease. With more experimentation and bigger studies, this drug could potentially reverse the destructive disease and prevent the prolonged heartache that Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones suffer from.
Feature Image Source: Elegant Repurposing by Michael Coghlan
