Interview

Q1. What methods of treating Alzheimer's disease do you find most effective?

A: Cholinesterase inhibitors are prescribed for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Some common medications I prescribe for mild to moderate cases are Razadyne, Exelon, and Aricept and as the patient progresses medication like Namenda are given.These drugs may help reduce some symptoms and help control some behavioral symptoms. The majority of treatments available do not cure the disease they just aid in subsiding the symptoms of the disease. 

R: Certain drugs are used for different levels of AD. Each patient uses a different combination and different doses based on the progression of their case. 

Q2. What alternative methods have you seen other doctors in your department?

A: A growing number of herbal remedies, dietary supplements and "medical foods" are promoted as memory enhancers or treatments to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. However they have varying results if any, but are always an option to try. 

R: They are non medicine ways of preventing/diminishing effects however there isn’t enough research to confidently say these are beneficial to a patient.

Q3. What is the most effective medication available currently for patients?

A: The U.S. FDA has approved two types of medications — cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne) and memantine (Namenda) — to treat the cognitive symptoms (memory loss, confusion, and problems with thinking and reasoning) of Alzheimer's disease. While current medications cannot stop the damage Alzheimer’s causes to brain cells, they may help lessen or stabilize symptoms for a limited time by affecting certain chemicals involved in carrying messages among the brain's nerve cells.

R: The medication available on the market currently is limited to about 3 and is regulated by the FDA. The FDA is a key factor involved in keeping medication regulated. 

Q4. How has the treatment for Alzheimer's changed throughout your career?

A: For the majority of my career the same drugs have been used to treat the symptoms of AD that are used now. However, in the past 15-20 years scientists have made great strides in researching new methods of treatment.

R: The amount of research being done has increased in his career, which would increase the probability of better and more improved solutions being found in the future. 

Q5. How effective do you think the treatment options being researched now are?

A: I think many options being researched have potential, they all need to be researched further for more conclusive results. 

R: The options have a better possibility of working but more research needs to be done for a newer more reversible solution to be found. 

Q6. I have previously researched the method of low intensity focused ultrasound. Do you think that will become a potential treatment option for your patients in the future?

A: As said previously, I think it has potential but more research has to be done for more conclusive results.

R:The options have a better possibility of working but more research needs to be done for a newer, more reversible solution to be found. 

Q7. How would improved treatment options affect current alzheimer’s patients?

A: Having improved treatment options would give patients a better quality of life as well as give them hope for their to be a cure one day.

R: More innovative solutions would give patients a higher probability of living a better quality life and possibly a cure to this debilitating disease. 

Q8. Do you think there are any practices in conducting research that need to be altered to protect patients?

A: The FDA’s process in approving medication can be long and tedious sometimes, but it is to assure that no patients are harmed. I believe further testing needs to occur. 

R: FDA is the barrier between researchers and patients. They protect patients from potentially dangerous drugs.

Q9. What do you think the future of Alzheimer's disease looks like?

A: Just from all the research being done in the past 10 years, I think I can expect more treatment options for patients

R: There is a long way to finding a cure however Dr. Nogueira believes there will be more viable methods of treatment. 

Q10. How much research would allow you to be able to test a new drug on a patient?

A: Well it obviously has to be approved by the FDA and have to have a substantial success rate. 

R: Dr. Nogueira wants the drug to be safe for his patients before he prescribes them the medication. He doesn’t want to take a shortcut due to the potential harmful effects.