We all have those moments of forgetfulness — when we can’t find our car keys or misplace an important piece of mail.

Most times, these brief lapses in memory are just that — brief. We eventually remember the keys are on the kitchen counter, right next to that elusive letter.

But when you can’t remember you were searching for your keys, or you forget what the keys are used for, that could be the sign of something more.

In most cases, forgetting where you put your keys is nothing to worry about. But if this is a new problem that began later in life, and if the problem is getting worse, then Alzheimer’s disease is a possible cause.

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, affecting as many as 27,000 Hawaii residents.

The disease causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms often develop slowly and worsen over time, eventually interfering with daily tasks.

Though the cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown, there is increasing evidence that points to brain inflammation as a factor.

It is believed that in people with Alzheimer’s disease, there are increased levels of inflammatory (activated) monocytes, a type of white blood cell that releases inflammatory factors that damage the brain. NP001, a regulator of monocyte activation, exerts its effect by converting these activated inflammatory monocytes back to their normal, non-inflammatory state.

While Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, there is no cure for the more than 5 million Americans living with the disease.

There are many risk factors that may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, including certain gene mutations, old age and certain environmental factors, including diet and exercise patterns.

Eating healthy and exercising every day are the most important things you can do to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Staying active with your thinking and education also helps to build up your cognitive reserve.

Protecting the brain from head trauma (with helmets and seat belts) is important, as is avoiding drugs and high amounts of alcohol, which promote brain injury and dementia.

Given the potential role inflammatory monocytes may play in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, researching immune regulators, like NP001, is critical to understanding this serious and complex disease.

The first clinical study of NP001 in Alzheimer’s disease began last December at the University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine with Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals.

Conducted by the University of Hawaii medical school, the study will help further our understanding of the role of inflammatory monocytes in Alzheimer’s disease.

Patients with Alzheimer’s needed

Fourteen patients with Alzheimer’s disease are being recruited by University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine to see if NP001 decreases the levels of activated monocytes in the blood.

If you have Alzheimer’s disease and are interested in participating in this clinical trial, you can contact Debbie Ogata-Arakaki, the research nurse coordinator, at 808-692-1332.

Dr. Beau Nakamoto is a board-certified neurologist at Straub Medical Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Hawai‘ i at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine, and principal investigator of the clinical trial.