Some of MSU’s best scientists are working to gain some insight into why Alzheimer’s disease affects so many Americans.
Dr. Daniel Murman, an assistant professor of neurology and opthamology, is involved with two projects on campus looking at different factors which contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
“Alzheimer’s is a very common degenerative disease of the brain where certain groups of nerve cells die,” Murman said. “There are lots of factors which can determine who gets the disease, such as head trauma, loss of consciousness, age and genetic factors.”
Alzheimer’s is a complicated disease which affects memory, use of language and spacial and visual perception, he said.
The first project Murman is working on deals with the cost-to-care ratio Alzheimer’s patients receive in nursing homes, hospitals and private residences.
“A disease like Alzheimer’s affects not only the patients but their families as well,” he said. “It’s hard to give the kind of care Alzheimer’s patients need and deserve, especially in the home.”
Through the course of the study, Murman wants to evaluate patients and follow their care for about a year in order to understand the value of health care and how effectively patients are cared for.
The second program is concerned with genetic factors, which scientists believe can lead to added psychosis for Alzheimer’s patients, he said.
Psychosis is the disorganization of the mind, personality or behavior resulting from an individual’s inability to cope with society. In addition to memory loss and other symptoms, patients with psychosis become depressed, paranoid and can sometimes experience hallucinations.
“The reason why some people get these symptoms is poorly understood,” he said. “But we’re learning a lot more about if and how changes in metabolism can cause psychosis.
“That’s why we are conducting the genetics study.”
Murman was given the Career Development Award by the MSU Foundation in August 1999 for his work on this project.
“If we can find a strong association between gene factors and who gets the psychosis, we may be able to identify people early and potentially have an early treatment,” Murman said.
Karen Friderici, associate professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, supervises the lab research for the program.
“We’re looking at how small changes in genes can contribute to diseases like Alzheimer’s,” Friderici said. “We want to target drugs to help control the symptoms of the disease.
“And ultimately we’d like to be able to treat the disease before the onset of the symptoms.”
Ask Dr. David Kaufman, chairperson for the Department of Neurology and Opthalmology, and he’ll tell you MSU was very fortunate to steal Murman away from the University of Michigan four years ago.
“I believe Dr. Murman’s work is one of the emerging important areas of research on this campus,” Kaufman said. “It is highly relative clinically and the results will be translated immediately for clinical care in Alzheimer’s disease.”
