Initial assessments allow for preliminary screening of cognitive impairment linked to Alzheimer’s disease. They are open to anyone aged 50 or over who is concerned about their memory. Initial assessments are also offered to people under 50 with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease.

*As our services are free of charge, The Memory Clinic clientele does not need to be covered by a public insurance plan (Ex: OHIP, RAMQ).

In addition to conducting clinical trials for drug development, we also collaborate with research groups and pharmaceutical companies on the development of screening tools for Alzheimer’s disease. Given the wide range of research programs available, it is not necessary for the patient you refer to have been diagnosed with MCI or Alzheimer’s.

However, inclusion and exclusion criteria are often restrictive, so it is rarely possible for us to propose a clinical trial suitable for the following people:

• A person who does not speak French or English (speaking, reading, writing);
• A person who has been diagnosed with a related dementia (Lewy body, Parkinson’s, frontotemporal…);
•  A person diagnosed with advanced Alzheimer’s disease;
•  A person with contraindications for an MRI or PET scan;
• A person who has received treatment for cancer in the last 5 years;
  • Except localized cancers
• A person unable to provide free and informed consent;
• A person with an unstable psychiatric condition (e.g. major depression, schizophrenia);
• A person with an unstable or ongoing medical condition (e.g. MS, ALS);
• A person with major coagulation or cardiovascular problems.

*It is always possible to contact us by telephone or e-mail before making a referral for any questions.

Following receipt of your request for a consultation, the patient (or caregiver) will be contacted by telephone or e-mail so that we can carry out a pre-evaluation. This allows us to prioritize the initial assessments and obtain their consent to data collection. The initial visit, which will be scheduled subsequently, includes the following elements: interview with the patient and caregiver, full medical history review, administration of MMSE, MoCA and other cognitive assessments if required, ADL assessment and optional genetic screening for ApoE.

Once the assessment has been completed, the patient will have the option of forwarding their file to our recruitment department for review to establish whether they are eligible to take part in a clinical trial. If they are not eligible or interested at the time of the initial assessment, they may be contacted again for reassessment within 6 months to 2 years.

The results of initial evaluations are sent to professionals on request only after the patient’s consent has been obtained.

The Memory Clinic collaborates with various private imaging centers and has anesthetists working in their facilities, which allows participants, depending on the clinical trial, to have priority access to MRI, PET and lumbar puncture. In most cases, the research protocols of the various clinical trials also require the administration of several cognitive assessments, blood tests, physical and neurological assessments, and ECGs.

Although the professionals at our facilities recommend that participants involve their treating professionals throughout the entire process, it is up to each participant to decide whether they want their information to be transmitted. If they do, the limits of what The Memory Clinic can transmit as results obtained in clinical trials are based on what is permitted by sponsors, laws, and regulations.

In 2023, 187 clinical trials had been conducted on Alzheimer’s disease, involving 141 different treatments. In 2024, 171 clinical trials involving 134 treatments will be studied. (Alzheimer’s disease drug development pipeline: 2023 – Cummings – 2023 – Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions – Wiley Online Library). The difference between the number of clinical trials and treatments is explained by the fact that some treatments are being studied in several clinical trials simultaneously. For 2024, it is estimated that more than 60,000 participants will take part in one of the clinical trials.

Of the treatments in development, 77-78% are disease-modifying therapies, i.e. they aim to interfere with the biology of Alzheimer’s disease and slow its progression.

Biological treatments designed to modify the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

As of 2019, two treatments have demonstrated their ability to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by around 25 to 30%. In practical terms, this represents almost 4 years when a patient could remain in the MCI phase. Most of these biological treatments are monoclonal antibodies and are administered subcutaneously, intravenously, or intrathecally.

CADRO objectives: Beta-Amyloid protein, Tau protein, metabolism and bioenergetics, Neuroprotection, Synaptic plasticity, Inflammation, Growth factors and hormones, Receptors for: ApoE, lipids and lipoproteins. https://iadrp.nia.nih.gov/about/cadro

Small molecule treatments to modify the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Usually administered orally, this is the most common category of treatment currently being developed.

CADRO targets: Neuroprotection, Synaptic Plasticity, Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Metabolism and Bioenergetics, Proteostasis and Proteinopathy, Circadian Rhythm, Neurogenesis, Beta-Amyloid, Cell Death, Epigenetic Regulators, Growth Factors and Hormones, Receptors and Neurotransmitters, Tau, Receptors for : ApoE, Lipids and Lipoproteins, Vascular System.

Treatments to improve cognitive function.

These aim to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease without slowing its progression. Existing treatments such as Donepezil or Memantine are examples. Combination studies including this category of treatment and treatments aimed at modifying the progression of Alzheimer’s disease are becoming increasingly frequent.

CADRO objectives: Receptors and Neurotransmitters, Neuroprotection, Synaptic Plasticity, Growth Factors and Hormones, Metabolism and Bioenergetics, Circadian Rhythm.

Treatment for neuropsychiatric symptoms

Sunset syndrome, apathy, psychosis and depression are common in Alzheimer’s patients, and it’s important to address them. That’s why almost 11% of the treatments under study are devoted to them.

CADRO objective: Receptors and Neurotransmitters, Circadian Rhythm.

Treatment by redefining existing drugs.

By 2024, almost 40% of the treatments being studied for Alzheimer’s disease will be based on molecules that are already marketed for different purposes. The aim of these treatments is either to modify the course of the disease, address neuropsychiatric symptoms or improve cognition.