Researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health have discovered that a drug used to treat epilepsy can also stop the progression of Alzheimer's in mice.

The drug is called Valproic Acid, or VPA. Local researchers tested it in mice and found it stopped the formation of plaque in the brain. It's thought these plaques are responsible for memory deficits in Alzheimer's patients.

"We don't have the data to show that this drug can reverse or re-form the plaque but we do see the drug can inhibit the plaque formation basically in preventing the plaque formation and at the same time we can treat the Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Weihong Song of UBC.

The mice who took the drug also had improvement in memory tests.

Because Valproic Acid has been used for decades to treat epilepsy, its side effects are already known. Now, researchers are conducting a small clinical trial to see if the drug works in humans.

Questions and answers

Q How much does the current Alzheimer drugs help?

A There are no magic bullets. The current drugs can slow progression of the disease. But they're only moderately effective.

On the whole were hoping to just keep symptoms stable. So being better, means not getting worse. Some people are helped more than others.

Overall, most folks remain unchanged.

But medication is just one part of the treatment. Non-drug therapies are also crucial. All strategies work best in the earliest stages of the disease.

Q What are some of the non-drug things people can do to help?

A. For example, there are some modifications to the home that have been shown to be beneficial such as minimizing clutter, and having consistent background noise, rather than having radios, tvs blaring all the time.

Put key items that can help cue memory in clear view. such as calendars, photos, mementoes.

Alzheimer patients do better when they have routine. It allows them to reinforce behavior.

They have trouble in unfamiliar environments. So if you have them over to your house during the holidays, it's difficult because there are too many problems for them to solve. It's all about keeping things as simple as possible.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Dr. Rhonda Low