Brain Implant May Slow the Pace of Alzheimer's Disease ; Slu Study Will Examine Pump's Ability to Reduce Buildup of Cerebral Fluid

BACK

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Doctors at St. Louis University are participating in a clinical study to test a pump that may halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Dr. George Grossberg, director of the geriatric psychiatry program at SLU, will lead the trial to implant the pump - known as a COGNIShunt - in 10 to 20 patients with early stage Alzheimer's disease. The first patients will receive the implant next week. The study is part of a larger clinical trial at 25 medical centers. The device, made by San Francisco-based Eunoe Inc., drains small amounts of cerebral spinal fluid from the brain and increases its circulation. The fluid can pool and stagnate in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients, increasing the chance for toxic brain proteins to grow into plaques and ta ngles that kill neurons, Grossberg said. A pilot study in 29 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease demonstrated that the pump could reduce levels of certain toxic proteins in the cerebral spinal fluid and slow cognitive decline. Half of the patients in the SLU study will have an active pump installed just under the skin of the skull. A tiny catheter will siphon fluid from storage pockets in the brain to a small chamber in the pump. Once that chamber is full, the liquid deposits in a second chamber and finally drains into the abdomen. Neurosurgeon Dr. Richard Bucholz will implant inactive pumps in a control group of patients. Their pumps will be turned on nine months later. Grossberg will monitor the patients to see if the pump can slow or halt the progression of the disease. "This is not a cure for Alzheimer's disease," Grossberg said. But the therapy could work in combination with drugs to benefit Alzheimer's disease patients, he said.