8 Mar 2010 --- Saint Louis University scientists are studying whether adding a nutritional beverage to traditional medications for Alzheimer's disease improves thinking and memory.

"Our purpose is to see if a special drink made from natural products helps with the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease when it is added to currently approved medications," said Theodore Malmstrom, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology and psychiatry at Saint Louis University and co-investigator for the study.

"We're testing a beverage made from vitamins and antioxidants to see if helps people who have mild or moderate Alzheimer's disease think more clearly and function better."

The strawberry- and vanilla-flavored drink, which is considered a medical food, comes in a juice-box type container and is best drunk after it is refrigerated.

"The extra active ingredients added to the nutritional drink include specific fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, which are important building blocks for the brain. We believe the risk of side effects is very small in this nutrition-based approach to treating Alzheimer's disease," said John Morley, M.D., director of the division of geriatrics at Saint Louis University and principal investigator of the trial.

"Both the study and control drink contain natural ingredients, which are also present in small amounts in normal daily nutrition."

Two years ago, SLU was the only site in the country to participate in a pilot study of the Alzheimer's shake, which had promising results, Malmstrom said.

"We found enough support to do a larger study," he said. "Our findings justified doing more research on how the beverage might affect thinking and memory."

A total of 500 volunteers are being recruited from 40 study sites nationally. Saint Louis University is only study site in the metro area.

Saint Louis University is recruiting about 20 study participants who are at least 50 years old for the 24 week trial. Study volunteers must have been diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease and have a responsible caregiver. They also must have been on a stable dose of at least one of the five drugs currently approved by the FDA to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Half of the participants will be given the Alzheimer's shake and half will receive a beverage that does not have the special active ingredients. Study participants will drink the beverage with breakfast and will continue to take their regular medications for Alzheimer's disease.

The study involves six visits as well as follow-up phone calls. Study volunteers must be accompanied on visits by a caregiver, who answers questions about the participant's behavior and ability to function, and is available by phone.