Jefferson's Division of Cognitive Neurology in Philadelphia is dedicated to compassionate care for individuals with cognitive disorders, supporting their families and advancing care through research into the epidemiology and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Educational programs are available for patients' families and caregivers, helping them connect with community support and plan for the future.
Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience located in Center City Philadelphia, just a short drive from South Jersey and Delaware, offers clinical trial participation for patients who are interested in promising investigational treatments for Alzheimer's disease. Most of these studies are multi-center, multi-year trials that have already met a number of rigorous standards for safety and efficacy and have shown favorable effects on memory.
For many patients and their families, participation not only offers the hope of slowing the disease but also represents a chance to share personal experience and contribute to new scientific knowledge. Patients who agree to participate must be able to assent to the study, and caregivers who support that participation act as surrogate decision-makers and provide informed consent.
We are constantly evaluating new medications that may slow the course of Alzheimer's disease. One promising monoclonal antibody, now in Phase III studies, is designed to clear the brain of toxic beta-amyloid protein, a key component of the neuritic plaques implicated in Alzheimer pathology.
Another encouraging study is testing a higher dose of an FDA-approved medication, the rivastigmine transdermal patch, to determine whether it has therapeutic effects over and above currently available dosages.