Common cough medicine could help protect against a form of dementia, new study finds
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A COMMON cough medicine could help protect people with Parkinson's against dementia.
Around 145,000 people in the UK have Parkinson's, a progressive brain disease that affects movement - but they're also more likely to develop certain forms of dementia.
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A cough medicine prescribed for decades in Europe - called ambroxol - could stabilise the progression of Parkinson's dementia
Credit: Getty
Some people start to have problems with thinking, memory and perception.
In fact, about a third with Parkinson's eventually develop dementia, according Alzheimer's Society.
Now, researchers at Lawson Research Institute are investigating whether Ambroxol - a cough medicine used safely for decades in Europe - can slow dementia in people with Parkinson's disease.
Lead author Dr Stephen Pasternak, a cognitive neurologist, said: "Our goal was to change the course of Parkinson's dementia.
"This early trial offers hope and provides a strong foundation for larger studies."
Ambroxol is an over-the-counter medicine that breaks up phlegm, making it easier to cough "with an excellent safety record", according to researchers.
But it isn't currently approved in the UK, researchers said.
The study - published in JAMA Neurology - involved 55 people over the age of 50, who'd had Parkinson's disease for at least a year before developing mild to moderate dementia.
They were either given a daily dose of Ambroxol - 525mg or 1,050mg a day - or a placebo.
Researchers assessed their memory, psychiatric symptoms, and the blood marker GFAP linked to brain damage.
I saw a subtle change in my husband's run but never expected brain diagnosis
They found that the drug was safe and well-tolerated among participants.
Dementia symptoms worsened in the placebo group, they remained stable in those taking Ambroxol, scientists said.
'Individuals receiving placebo showed a clinically meaningful worsening in neuropsychiatric symptoms, whereas those receiving ambroxol remained stable,' researchers wrote.
Ambroxol boosts levels of an enzyme called GCase, which is known to help clear away waste products which have gathered in brain cells.
In Parkinson's, a build up of a troublesome protein called alpha-synuclein is often seen in the brain tissue.
It's thought that ambroxol may help improve the body's ability to clear away these clumps of alpha-synuclein and prevent damage to brain cells.
Participants with high risk variants of a key gene linked to dementia - called GBA1 - showed improved cognitive performance on Ambroxol, researchers added.
Markers of brain cell damage, GFAP, also increased in the placebo group but stayed stable in those taking Ambroxol.
What are the symptom's of Parkinson's dementia?
Most people with Parkinson's dementia have symptoms very similar to those of dementia with Lewy bodies.
These include: Problems with staying focused
Difficulties with making decisions
Memory loss and forgetfulness
Problems with the way the person sees things around them
As well as problems with memory and thinking, Parkinson's dementia also often causes: Problems staying fully awake
Very disturbed sleep
Visual hallucinations - seeing things which are not really there
Delusions – thinking things that aren't true
Changes in appetite
Mood symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, or apathy
Source: Alzheimer's Society
This suggested the cough medicine may have the potential to protect the brain from Parkinson's-related decline.
'Ambroxol was safe, well-tolerated, and demonstrated target engagement,' scientists wrote, however adding that the drug's clinical effect on cognition was 'not confirmed' in the study.
Dr Pasternak said: "Current therapies for Parkinson's disease and dementia address symptoms but do not stop the underlying disease.
"These findings suggest Ambroxol may protect brain function, especially in those genetically at risk. It offers a promising new treatment avenue where few currently exist."
Scientists hope the study's findings could pave the way for larger clinical trials that test the effectiveness of Ambroxol in slowing dementia symptoms.
Dr Pasternak is now is now looking into whether boosting GCase with Ambroxol could help protect the brain in Parkinson's-related diseases.
"This research is vital because Parkinson's dementia profoundly affects patients and families," he said.
"If a drug like Ambroxol can help, it could offer real hope and improve lives."
Ambroxol was first explored as a possible Parkinson's treatment in 2009.
A trial supported by Parkinson's UK that's currently taking place will observe 330 people with Parkinson's as they take ambroxol - a placebo drug - over two yeas, to see if it is beneficial in the long-term.
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