● Individuals with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer type early stage dementia are eligible

● The 2 approved drugs are lecanemab and donanemab

● They are a monoclonal antibody that attaches to amyloid beta, a protein that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. This buildup is thought to be toxic to brain cells, causing them to die and leading to Alzheimer's symptoms. Lecanemab works by removing amyloid beta from the brain, which can slow the progression of the disease.

● It's given as an infusion into the vein (IV) every 2 weeks for 18 months. You currently have to travel to a clinic to get this done. The infusion is not done in the home (however, this may be coming)

● It can slow the rate of progression by 20-30% over 18 months

● There are mild side effects like headaches, confusion, vision changes, nausea, and difficulty walking. There are also rare serious side effects like bleeding in the brain

● A neurologist and committee will do additional testing to determine if you are a candidate and to also rule out risk factors that increase your risk for brain bleed such as the presence of the ApoE gene and brain imaging changes.

● If interested, we can place a referral to a neurology department that provides this infusion. The first visit is just to learn more information. You don't need to commit or decide whether you want to proceed with treatment now. We recommend getting more information and then weighing the pros/cons. You can return back to us for guidance if you like. This is a process we call shared decision making. It is ultimately your choice.

Version: YT 12/29/2024