Adverse effects offset advantages in the efficacy of atypical antipsychotic drugs for the treatment of psychosis, aggression, or agitation in patients with Alzheimer's disease. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00015548 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).

Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are core features of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Once thought to emerge primarily in people with late-stage disease, these symptoms are currently known to manifest commonly in very early disease and in prodromal phases, such as mild cognitive impairment. Despite decades of research, reliable treatments for dementia-associated NPS have not been found, and those that are in widespread use present notable risks for people using these medications. An Alzheimer’s Association Research Roundtable was convened in the spring of 2010 to review what is known about NPS in Alzheimer’s disease, to discuss classification and underlying neuropathogenesis and vulnerabilities, and to formulate recommendations for new approaches to tailored therapeutics.

Even relatively mild Alzheimer's disease significantly impairs consent-giving capacity. But differentiating capable from incapable subjects remains an issue despite the aid of standardized tools. More research is needed to understand the relationship between subject factors (performance on ability measures) and categorical judgments about their capacity.

IntroductionThis randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 90-week study assessed safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of CAD106 with/without adjuvant in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease.MethodsOne hundred twenty-one patients received up to seven intramuscular injections of CAD106 (150 μg or 450 μg) or placebo ± adjuvant over 60 weeks. An amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) substudy was also conducted.ResultsCAD106 induced strong serological responses (amyloid-beta [Aβ]–Immunoglobuline G[IgG]) in 55.1% (150 μg) and 81.1% (450 μg) of patients (strong serological responders [SSRs]). Serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported in 24.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 16.7–33.8) of the patients in the active treatment group and in 6.7% (95% CI 0.2–31.9) in the placebo group. Three of the SAEs were classified as possibly related to study drug by the investigators. No evidence of central nervous system inflammation was found. Amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIAs) occurred in six cases, all of them were strong serological responders. None of the ARIAs were symptomatic. Serum Aβ-IgG titer area under the curves correlated negatively with amyloid PET standardized uptake value ratio percentage change from baseline to week 78 within the CAD106-treated patients (r = −0.84, P = .0004). Decrease in cortical gray-matter volume from baseline to week 78 was larger in SSRs than in controls (P = .0077).DiscussionRepeated CAD106 administration was generally well tolerated. CAD106 450 μg with alum adjuvant demonstrated the best balance between antibody response and tolerability.