Brain busters

Keeping the brain active may be just as important as drugs in the fight against Alzheimer's

- Nicky Pellegrino

Promising new medicines are on their way to treat dementia. A recent trial of the drug donanemab has shown it slows progression of Alzheimer's the most common form of dementia - by up to 35%. The drug clears away the brain amyloid plaques believed to play a role in the disease. Other therapies that work in a similar way have now been approved in the US by the Food and Drug Administration. These aren't cures however, and won't improve a patient's cognitive abilities, only delay decline when Alzheimer's is caught in the early stages.

"It is good news that we're developing drugs, but they do have side effects and they won't be for everyone," says Joanne Ryan, head of the dementia research unit at Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in Melbourne.

Ryan's focus is on keeping the brain healthy as we age. "It's not just about dementia prevention, but about remaining as cognitively active and engaged as we can so we can continue to do the things we love and be independent for as long as possible," she says.

Her latest research has involved drilling down into data from a longitudinal healthy ageing study, the ASPREE trial, to find out which kinds of activities have the greatest brain benefits.