Time-saved and time-invested with anti-amyloid treatments in early Alzheimer’s disease: practical considerations

Anti-amyloid treatments for early Alzheimer's disease very effectively remove amyloid deposits from the brain and have shown an approximately 30 % less worsening in cognitive functions compared to placebo. Some additional metrics, such as time-saved, i.e. the additional time people may live independently, have been suggested to better inform patients and the general public about the benefits and risks of these medications. Some authors report 4-6 months, and others 10-13 months, depending on the treatment period, time of follow-up, and the methodology used. Taking into consideration that these drugs' regimens are monthly or bi-weekly intravenous infusions requiring clinical supervision, and the necessary brain MRIs for follow-up, we argue that the time spent travelling by the patients and their family members should also be taken into consideration when proposing anti-amyloid treatments, and specifically, when discussing the amount of time saved. In this study, we report that nearly half of the possible eligible patients for anti-amyloid treatments experience a reduction in motivation after receiving the information about the number of times required to come to the hospital, especially those travelling long distances (average time: 60 min for one-way). We propose a rough estimate for the additional time patients and their family members are likely to spend in these arrangements and suggest these additional calculations should be part of the decision-making process.