Patient records
Name: David Miller
Age: 68
Nationality: Australia (Melbourne)
Diagnosis: Alzheimer's disease (stage of mild cognitive impairment progressing to dementia, Aβ-PET positive, ApoE ε4 carrier)
Treatment Hospital: Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University / National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases
Mr. David's daughter sent me a video showing David sitting at the piano, playing Chopin's Nocturne with fluid grace. His eyes were focused, his fingers danced across the keys, and the melody was beautiful and moving. His daughter wrote in an email, "Thank you for helping my father dispel the fog of 'forgetting.' He may still forget some things, but he hasn't forgotten music, and he hasn't forgotten us." A year ago, this fog had almost completely engulfed him.
Mr. David is a retired piano professor; music is his life. However, starting two years ago, he found himself becoming increasingly forgetful. First, he forgot sheet music, then he forgot appointments, and later, he even got lost in the neighborhood he had lived in for decades. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative disease that gradually robs people of their memory and cognitive functions. In Australia, doctors told him that existing medications could only temporarily improve his symptoms and could not stop the disease's progression. This news was like a suspended sentence for his entire family.
When David's daughter learned through us that China had approved a new disease-modifying therapy (DMT) drug targeting the causes of Alzheimer's disease, she felt a glimmer of hope. Our case manager quickly connected her with the Department of Neurology at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, the National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases and one of the earliest and most authoritative centers in China to conduct DMT treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
Before his diagnosis, we guided David to complete crucial biomarker tests in Melbourne—Aβ-PET and ApoE genotyping. The results confirmed a large amount of β-amyloid (Aβ) deposits in his brain, a core pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease, meaning he was a suitable candidate for the new DMT drug lencanezumab. Our medical consultant explained to his family, "This new drug acts like a 'scavenger,' targeting and clearing Aβ protein deposits in the brain, slowing disease progression at its source. However, this requires close monitoring because it can cause cerebral edema or microbleeds, which we call ARIA."
During his visit to Xuanwu Hospital, David began receiving intravenous infusions every two weeks. Our case manager accompanied him throughout and assisted the medical team with the baseline cognitive assessment and MRI scan before treatment. The entire infusion process went smoothly, and David experienced no discomfort.
In the post-diagnosis and follow-up phase , our services entered a long and meticulous stage. After returning to his home country, David needed to continue his infusions locally, undergoing rigorous MRI monitoring before the 5th, 7th, and 14th infusions to screen for ARIA. Our team coordinated these examinations and transmitted the imaging data in real time to experts at Xuanwu Hospital for evaluation. Simultaneously, we guided his family to conduct monthly cognitive scale assessments for David, dynamically monitoring changes in his condition. A year later, although David's cognitive function had not "reversed," assessments showed a significant slowdown in the rate of cognitive decline. He could still play the piano and still recognize his family members. His daughter said that every step delayed was precious time gained.