What is LATE?

A new dementia disease has recently been identified, which had previously been misdiagnosed as Alzheimers. It is thought to affect the very oldest people in dementia and over 1 in 5 people over 80 are now thought to have this form of the disease. The disease is called Limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 or LATE for short. Given this ratio, the impact of this new finding is significant in public health. 

What is LATE?

The symptoms were thought to be very similar to Alzheimers and indeed included a similar type of proteins blocking certain parts of the brain. However it has only been at post mortem analysis that they have identified that this is in fact a new form of brain disease that mimics the symptoms of Alzheimers. This new discovery is particularly important as it helps to identify patients symptoms and illness and therefore research can be concentrated on finding a cure for the disease. There have been many clinical trials that have been undertaken, that so far have not proved successful in identifying a cure for the brain matter wasting diseases. 

Those patients who are identified as suffering with LATE do not have the same protein build up in their brain which is common to Alzheimers, therefore those people who were included on the clinical trials would not have seen any benefit of the medication that they were testing. Now that researchers have identified this new form of disease, they will be able to identify the right patients for clinical trials to deal with the diseases that they are trying to cure. 

What are the symptoms of LATE?

Patients are also thought to experience a gradual loss of memory, with this form of dementia. However as it has only just been identified as new form of dementia, information is light into the exact symptoms of the disease. Research is ongoing to find out more about LATE and its impact on dementia patients. However, care pathways will be similar to most dementia diseases and therapies such as music, exercises and eating a more balanced diet will help support the patient as the disease progresses. There is still no evidence to prove that carrying out brain activities and brain puzzles improve dementia symptoms. However, the fact that LATE is now identified as a common form of the disease in older patients, there is hope that more treatments can be identified. 

 We shall add more to this as further information becomes available.