The amount and quality of medical research coming out of Israel is quite astounding. Advances in treating cancer, asthma, diabetes, sepsis, neurological diseases such as ALS – Israeli scientists have made their mark in all these areas and many more.

So it’s not surprising that some of Israel’s best minds have been tackling the mystery of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a fatal and progressive brain disorder that is the most common cause of dementia worldwide.

AD affects about one in 20 people age 65 or older, accounting for 60-80 percent of dementia cases. In 2010, AD afflicted 5.4 million people in the United States, where it is the sixth leading cause of death. One in eight Americans will develop the disease at some point, while more than six million are affected in Europe. About half of AD patients also suffer from depression, and up to 40% exhibit symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease as well.

To mark World Alzheimer’s Month during September, here are 10 ways the small Jewish state is contributing to solutions for a huge worldwide problem.

1. Ladostigil

Last May, Israel’s Avraham Pharmaceuticals began 26-week and 36-month Phase 2 clinical studies of ladostigil, an Israeli-developed drug candidate to treat mild cognitive impairment — one of the signs associated with the onset of senile dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

This “neuroprotective” drug, developed by Prof. Marta Weinstock-Rosin of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ) and Prof. Moussa Youdim of the Technion Israel Institute of Technology based on an invention by HUJ Prof. Michael Chorev, relieves behavioral and psychological symptoms of AD including depression and anxiety. In lab animals, it also slows the progression of symptoms for sustained periods of time and actually modifies the pathology of the disease. The new trials will determine if it has the same effects in humans. Weinstock-Rosin also was the researcher behind Exelon, a widely prescribed drug to relieve Alzheimer’s symptoms.

Prof. Marta Weinstock-Rosin with Exelon. Photo by Nati Shohat/Hebrew University’s “Innovator’s Way” exhibition

2. NeuroAD

This electromagnetic stimulation system, developed by Yokneam-based Neuronix, is the first medical device in the world to receive approval for treating mild to moderate AD. It appears to change the course of the disease and allow patients to regain cognitive skills. Clinical trials in Europe and the United States are revealing that a few weeks of this non-invasive treatment deliver better measurable results than medications in cognitive improvement.

NeuroAD is based on a patent-pending technology that electromagnetically stimulates areas of the brain responsible for memory and learning, making them receptive to simultaneous tailored cognitive training.

NeuroAd by Neuronix.

3. ElMindA

The Herzliya-based company aims to revolutionize diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of AD and other brain disorders with its trademarked, non-invasive brain network activation (BNA) technology.

During the painless procedure, patients sit at a computer for 15 to 30 minutes performing a specific task many times (the repetition allows the device to sift out unrelated brain activity) while the device maps network activation points in the brain in the form of a three-dimensional image.

BNA is sensitive enough to show subtle differences in the severity of the condition from one day to another, and it can optimize drug-dosing decisions by monitoring the changes in brain network activities as the drug takes effect. It can also help identify patients best suited to test new drugs.