The Australian Alzheimer’s Research Foundation is one of 50 study centres involved in an exciting international collaboration – the TOMMORROW study. Sites are situated in North America, Europe, Queensland, Victoria and at our Foundation in Western Australia.
The study has two main goals. It aims to evaluate whether an investigational test can predict the genetic risk for developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in the next five years. It will examine two specific genes – APOE and TOMM40. A second goal is to explore whether an investigational medication will delay the first symptoms of MCI due to AD in people who are cognitively normal.
Mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease refers to the early phase of AD when an otherwise healthy-minded person experiences a gradual, progressive decline in thinking ability. This decline is significant enough to be noticed but not severe enough to interfere with daily life or the ability to function independently.
The prediction of risk would allow for those who know they are at risk of developing the disease to better plan for their future (or tomorrow), make changes to lifestyle etc. TOMM40, one of the genotypes, inspired the name.