--- title: "IVIG treatment of mild cognitive impairment | Sutter Health" description: "To determine the effect of intravenous immunoglobulin on brain atrophy and cognitive function in mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease" url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/ivig-treatment-of-mild-cognitive-impairment-1055312456" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research) / 3. [Research publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications) / 4. IVIG treatment of mild cognitive impairment # IVIG treatment of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease: a randomised double-blinded exploratory study of the effect on brain atrophy, cognition and conversion to dementia Relkin NR, Szabo P, Adamiak B, Burgut T, Monthe C, Lent RW, Younkin S, Younkin L, Schiff R, & Weksler ME. 18-Month study of intravenous immunoglobulin for treatment of mild Alzheimer disease. Neurobiol Aging. 2009 Nov;30(11):1728-36. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2007.12.021. Epub 2008 Feb 21. _J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2015 Sep 29. pii: jnnp-2015-311486. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2015-311486._ 2015-09-29 ## Abstract OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) on brain atrophy and cognitive function in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: 50 participant 50-84 years of age with amnestic MCI were administered 0.4 g/kg 10% IVIG or 0.9% saline every 2 weeks for a total of 5 infusions (2 g/kg total dose) in a randomised double-blinded design. MRI brain was completed at baseline, 12 and 24 months. Cognitive testing was completed at baseline and every 4 months. Participants were stratified into early and late (LMCI) MCI stages. Average annualised per cent change in ventricular volume was computed as a measure of brain atrophy. RESULTS: There was significantly less brain atrophy (p=0.037, adjusted for MCI status) in the IVIG group (5.87%) when compared with placebo (8.14%) at 12 months; at 24 months, the reduction in brain atrophy no longer reached statistical significance. The LMCI participants who received IVIG performed better on Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog; p=0.011) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; p=0.004) at 1 year; these differences were not present after 2 years. There was no difference in conversion to AD dementia between the treatment and control groups after 2 years; however, at 1 year, there were fewer conversions from LMCI to AD dementia in the IVIG group (33.3%) when compared with control group (58.3%). CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study provides limited evidence that a short course of IVIG administered in the MCI stage of AD reduces brain atrophy, prevents cognitive decline in LMCI and delays conversion to AD dementia for at least 1 year; however, this effect of IVIG appears to wane by 2 years. [PubMed abstract](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26420886?dopt=Abstract) ![Shawn J Kile, M.D.](https://dyn.mktgcdn.com/p/q0wjBudDBEScUW_Fehb6xrCnhqVyTm2ZGn3nY5fkqXc/fit=crop,gravity=auto,dpr=2,width=188,height=250,quality=100) Shawn J Kile, M.D. Principal investigator [View profile](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/investigators/shawn-j-kile-md-1049681124) ## Research topics - [Alzheimer's Disease](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Alzheimer%27s+Disease%5C%22%22) ## Related publications [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) - Publication ### [Reduction of Amyloid in the Brain and Retina After Treatment With IVIG for Mild Cognitive Impairment](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/reduction-amyloid-after-treatment-ivig-for-mild-impairment-1055312939) American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias 2020 Feb 12 - Publication ### [Five-year outcomes after IVIG for mild cognitive impairment due to alzheimer disease](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/outcome-after-ivig-for-cognitive-impairment-due-to-alzheimer-1055312927) BMC Neuroscience 2099 Dec 31 - Publication ### [Alzheimer abnormalities of the amygdala with Klüver-Bucy syndrome symptoms: an amygdaloid variant of Alzheimer disease](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/alzheimer-abnormalities-of-the-amygdala-1055312743) Arch Neurol. 2009 Jan;66(1):125-9. doi: 10.1001/archneurol.2008.517. Alzheimer abnormalities of the amygdala with Klüver-Bucy syndrome symptoms: an amygdaloid variant of Alzheimer disease. Kile SJ1, Ellis WG, Olichney JM, Farias S, DeCarli C. Author information 1Department of Neurology, University of California at Davis Arch Neurol. 2009 Jan; 2009 Jan 20 [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/ivig-treatment-of-mild-cognitive-impairment-1055312456#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Research publications","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"IVIG treatment of mild cognitive impairment"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/ivig-treatment-of-mild-cognitive-impairment-1055312456#medicalscholarlyarticle","name":"IVIG treatment of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease: a randomised double-blinded exploratory study of the effect on brain atrophy, cognition and conversion to dementia","headline":"IVIG treatment of mild cognitive impairment","abstract":"OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) on brain atrophy and cognitive function in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: 50 participant 50-84 years of age with amnestic MCI were administered 0.4 g/kg 10% IVIG or 0.9% saline every 2 weeks for a total of 5 infusions (2 g/kg total dose) in a randomised double-blinded design. MRI brain was completed at baseline, 12 and 24 months. Cognitive testing was completed at baseline and every 4 months. Participants were stratified into early and late (LMCI) MCI stages. Average annualised per cent change in ventricular volume was computed as a measure of brain atrophy. RESULTS: There was significantly less brain atrophy (p=0.037, adjusted for MCI status) in the IVIG group (5.87%) when compared with placebo (8.14%) at 12 months; at 24 months, the reduction in brain atrophy no longer reached statistical significance. The LMCI participants who received IVIG performed better on Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog; p=0.011) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; p=0.004) at 1 year; these differences were not present after 2 years. There was no difference in conversion to AD dementia between the treatment and control groups after 2 years; however, at 1 year, there were fewer conversions from LMCI to AD dementia in the IVIG group (33.3%) when compared with control group (58.3%). CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study provides limited evidence that a short course of IVIG administered in the MCI stage of AD reduces brain atrophy, prevents cognitive decline in LMCI and delays conversion to AD dementia for at least 1 year; however, this effect of IVIG appears to wane by 2 years.","description":"To determine the effect of intravenous immunoglobulin on brain atrophy and cognitive function in mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease","keywords":["Alzheimer's Disease"],"datePublished":"2015-09-29","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/ivig-treatment-of-mild-cognitive-impairment-1055312456","inLanguage":"en-US","identifier":[{"@type":"PropertyValue","propertyID":"PMID","value":"26420886"},{"@type":"PropertyValue","propertyID":"DOI","value":"10.1136/jnnp-2015-311486"}],"sameAs":["https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26420886/","https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2015-311486"],"isPartOf":{"@type":"Periodical","name":"J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry"},"sourceOrganization":{"@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Institute for Medical Research"},"about":[{"@type":"DefinedTerm","name":"Alzheimer's Disease","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_researchTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Alzheimer%27s+Disease%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=research_publication"}],"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/ivig-treatment-of-mild-cognitive-impairment-1055312456","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/ivig-treatment-of-mild-cognitive-impairment-1055312456#breadcrumblist"}}} ```