Antiviral Treatment Shows No Benefit For Early Alzheimer’s Patients

The thought that herpes infections trigger aliases lend to Alzheimer's illness has been gaining favour among immoderate scientists, raising dream that herpes treatments could slow progression of Alzheimer's symptoms among patients. 

But nan first objective proceedings to trial that mentation has recovered that a communal antiviral for herpes simplex infections, valacyclovir, does not alteration nan people of nan illness for patients successful nan early stages of Alzheimer's. 

Results from nan trial, led by researchers astatine Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, were presented July 29 astatine nan Alzheimer's Association International Conference. 

Possible nexus betwixt herpes viruses and Alzheimer's disease 

Approximately 60% to 70% of Americans are infected pinch herpes simplex viruses, which origin acold sores (usually HSV1) and genital herpes (HSV2). After signs of nan first infection subside, nan viruses stay dormantwithin nan nervous system and tin periodically reactivate, causing symptoms to flare up.

Various studies person recovered connections betwixt herpes infections and Alzheimer's, including an autopsy study that recovered HSV1 DNA was often associated pinch amyloid plaques successful nan brains of group diagnosed pinch Alzheimer's. Additional studies person recovered that group treated for herpes infections were little apt to beryllium later diagnosed pinch Alzheimer's than HSV-positive group who received nary antiviral treatment. 

"Based connected those erstwhile studies, location was dream that valacyclovir could person an effect," says nan trial's lead investigator, D.P. Devanand, MD, professor of psychiatry and neurology and head of geriatric psychiatry. 

"But nary 1 had conducted a objective proceedings to trial nan idea." 

Trial details 

The proceedings included 120 adults, property 71 connected average, each diagnosed pinch early Alzheimer's illness aliases mild cognitive impairment pinch imaging aliases humor tests that indicated Alzheimer's pathology. All participants had antibodies revealing past herpes infections (mostly HSV1, immoderate HSV2). 

The participants were randomly assigned to return regular pills containing either valacyclovir aliases a placebo. The researchers measured nan patients' representation functions and imaged nan encephalon to look for amyloid and tau deposits associated pinch Alzheimer's and different structural changes. 

After 18 months, nan researchers recovered that patients taking nan placebo performed somewhat amended connected cognitive tests than nan valacyclovir group, but nary different measures were importantly different. 

We were looking for a awesome that nan supplier did amended than nan placebo, but location wasn't immoderate successful this study. On nan different measures, sometimes nan placebo group did somewhat better, sometimes nan curen group did somewhat better." 

D.P. Devanand, MD, professor of psychiatry and neurology and head of geriatric psychiatry

Grouping participants by age, sex, and apolipoprotein E e4 position did not impact nan results. 

"Our proceedings suggests antivirals that target herpes are not effective successful treating early Alzheimer's and cannot beryllium recommended to dainty specified patients pinch grounds of anterior HSV infection. We do not cognize if semipermanent antiviral medicine curen pursuing herpes infection tin forestall Alzheimer's because prospective controlled tests person not been conducted."