The first large-scale study of early Alzheimer’s disease undertaken by the Indiana University School of Medicine is receiving a big financial boost after its first year.  A new National Institutes of Health grant will give the effort an extra $44.7 million.

Dr. Liana Apostolova leads the effort in Indianapolis.  She says the study will help doctors understand how Alzheimer’s starts.

“Analyze how brain structure changes, the deposits of amyloid and tau and define the disease on the biomarker spectrum,” says Apostolova.  “What we will also explore are new signals that might be very important and easy to detect in the early Alzheimer’s population because there is something about them that makes them get it so early.”

There are 16 other sites around the country enrolling participants for the clinical trial.

The new funding will help recruit patients, run the trial, and fund analysis of the results.

The Longitudinal Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease or LEADS, study could help improve diagnosis and care as well as provide insight on potential therapies.

People who get Alzheimer’s before 65 represent only about 5 percent of the population living with the disease.

The IU School of Medicine has already enrolled 15 people.

Patients between the 40-64 and cognitively normal patients will be recruited for the trial.