SIU Med School Participates In National Alzheimer's Disease

Probable Alzheimer's disease patients are being recruited by Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield as part of a national study of valproate, an anti-seizure drug, underway at 35 U.S. sites. The study hopes to determine if the drug is effective in delaying, weakening or even preventing difficult behaviors in people with early to middle stage Alzheimer’s disease and whether it slows the progression of symptoms of the disease itself. The drug is being evaluated by SIU's psychiatry and neurology departments as part of a study funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health.

"This medication has been around for 40 years, used successfully to treat epilepsy, migraines and bipolar disorder, and now may provide new hope for those with Alzheimer’s disease," said Sandra Vicari, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at SIU who is directing the study, along with Dr. Tom Ala, assistant professor of neurology.

Volunteers between the ages of 55 and 90 are being sought for the study, which is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study . Each participant will receive a physical examination and other tests before beginning and during the 12 follow-up visits which will take place over 26 months. Some study participants will be selected to get regular MRI scans. There is no charge to the participants for the tests and medications related to the study, which is sponsored by the Alzheimer Disease Cooperative study, based at the University of California, San Diego. Results will be shared with the participant's personal physician.

If you are interested in participating in the study, call John Busciacco, SIU's Department of Psychiatry, 217-545-7626 weekdays.

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