Scientists from Emory University found that boosting levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine with atomoxetine, a repurposed ADHD medication, may be able to stall neurodegeneration in people with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
In 39 people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), six months of treatment with atomoxetine reduced levels of tau in study participants’ cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and normalized other markers of neuro-inflammation.
The study points toward an alternative drug strategy against Alzheimer’s that does not rely on antibodies against tau or another Alzheimer’s-related protein, beta-amyloid.
A recent FDA-approved drug, adacanumab, targets beta-amyloid but its benefits are controversial among experts in the field.
The research is published in Brain and was conducted by David Weinshenker et al.
The researchers picked atomoxetine, which is commercially available as Strattera, with the goal of boosting brain levels of norepinephrine, which they thought could stabilize a vulnerable region of the brain against Alzheimer’s-related damage.
Norepinephrine is produced mainly by the locus coeruleus, a region of the brainstem that appears to be the first to show Alzheimer’s-related pathology—even in healthy, middle-aged people.
Norepinephrine is thought to reduce inflammation and encourage trash-removing cells called microglia to clear out aggregates of proteins such as beta-amyloid and tau.
Increasing norepinephrine levels has positive effects on cognition and pathology in mouse and rat models of Alzheimer’s.
The current finding showed that atomoxetine profoundly increased CSF norepinephrine levels in these patients.
The FDA approved atomoxetine in 2002 for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in children and adults, and the drug has been shown to be safe in older adults.
It is considered to have low abuse potential, compared with conventional stimulants that are commonly prescribed for ADHD.
Atomoxetine’s effects were recently studied in people with Parkinson’s disease—the benefits appear to be greater in those who have reduced integrity of the locus coeruleus.
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If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about how to cope if your loved one has Alzheimer’s disease, and these 2 things at age 35 linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about how to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, and results showing scientists find the root cause of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s.
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