James Hendrix, PhD

“If we can delay the onset of Alzheimer disease by just a few years, so that we can die of something else, that looks like a cure.”

At the 2018 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Chicago, Illinois, James Hendrix, PhD, Director of Global Science Initiatives for the Alzheimer’s Association, sat down to discuss several topics in the Alzheimer space with 

Hendrix first spoke about the new recommendations developed for physicians and nurse practitioners for clinical evaluation of Alzheimer disease. The guidelines encompass a broad area of care that ranges from enhancing efforts to recognize and evaluate symptoms to compassionately communicating with and supporting affected individuals and caregivers. The guidelines continue to be developed with input from key opinion leaders in the field and are expected to be published in full late 2018.

Additionally, Hendrix spoke to the challenges he and colleagues have identified in the field, as well as his hope for the promising future. Hendrix emphasizes the importance of lowering the risk of dementia as we age by maintaining good health, mental stimulation, social engagement and exercising, especially as researchers learn more about these areas and the impact they have on dementia risk.

He also expresses his excitement about the development of biomarkers, both imaging biomarkers and fluid-based biomarkers that are aiding the development of new drugs allowing researchers to identify the right patient, for the right drug, at the right time. The biomarkers have such a broad range of application, from the basic understanding of the disease through to the development of new therapies.

Lastly, Hendrix closes by joyously adding that at this year’s conference a record was broken with 5700 attendees, which speaks to the great momentum in the field from increased funding to attaining and retaining the best and the brightest in the space in order to combat this disease.

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Hendrix spoke to the challenges he and colleagues come across, as well as his hope for the promising future.

James Hendrix, PhD: Progress and Challenges in the Alzheimer Space

"These are broader guidelines that really for the first time capture the full range from primary care through the specialist community."

James Hendrix, PhD, Director of Global Science Initiatives of the Alzheimer’s Association, sat down with 

at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in Chicago, Illinois, to discuss the new recommendations that a workgroup convened by the Alzheimer’s Association developed for physicians and nurse practitioners for clinical evaluation of Alzheimer Disease.

Until now, there have been no US national consensus best clinical practice guidelines that provided integrated multispecialty recommendations for clinical evaluation of cognitive behavioral syndromes, Alzheimer disease and related dementias relevant to a broad spectrum of health care providers.

These guidelines encompass broad areas of care that range from enhancing efforts to recognize and evaluate symptoms to compassionately communicating with and supporting affected individuals and caregivers.

Hendrix adds that some of the guidelines are general and geared toward primary care, while some are for specialists, but a majority focus on informing the patient and caregiver, which makes for good clinical practice communication.

The guidelines which include 20 consensus recommendations include 16 “A” recommendations that must be done and that, in almost all circumstances, adhering to the recommendations will improve outcomes. The recommendations describe a multi-tiered approach to selection of assessment and tests tailored to each patient.

Additionally, the recommendations state that evaluations of possible cognitive behavior syndromes should almost always involve a care partner in addition to the patient and clinician. The Alzheimer’s Association encourages early diagnosis in order to provide those with Alzheimer to participate in decisions about care, current and future plans, and financial and legal planning.

The guidelines, previewed at AAIC, continue to be developed with input from key opinion leaders in the field and aimed to be published in full late 2018.

These guidelines will provide primary clinicians and the specialist community an important new tool to more accurately diagnose patients.

James Hendrix, PhD

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