USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A February 25, 2020 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s release reacted to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force position not to endorse early cognitive screening, citing a lack of evidence about the benefits. “This disappointing task force finding raises the risk that patients and their doctors will not discuss brain health, increases the likelihood of later diagnosis of dementia and makes it more difficult for people to get needed interventions earlier in the disease… The federal government needs to commit now to robust research to better assess and document the positive outcomes from cognitive screenings for patients and caregivers,” said UsA2 Chairman George Vradenburg.

MUST READS

A February 25, 2020 Kaiser Health News article reported that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) declined to endorse cognitive screening for older adults, citing insufficient scientific evidence. There is debate about the potential merits or harm which could be caused by a positive result. USPSTF informs Medicare and private insurers. According to the article, “The task force’s stance is controversial, given how poorly the health care system serves seniors with memory and thinking problems. Physicians routinely overlook cognitive impairment and dementia in older patients, failing to recognize these conditions at least 50% of the time, according to several studies.”

BRAIN HEALTH

A February 16, 2020 New Atlas article looked at the effects of bilingualism on cognition, as it relates to cognitive reserve (brain’s resilience to neurological damage) and Alzheimer’s disease. A five-year study at Canada’s York University involving participants with MCI compared conversion times for developing Alzheimer’s between those who were monolingual and bilingual. According to the article, “This adds further weight to the theory that bilinguals and a greater cognitive reserve can stave off the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and neurodegeneration, but only for so long. The team believes that while both groups presented with the same level of cognitive function at the outset of the study, the Alzheimer’s pathology was already building up in the bilingual group in greater amounts behind the scenes.”

FEEL GOOD STORY OF THE DAY

According to a February 18, 2020 KFOR Oklahoma’s News 4 article, a special sensory “Memory Garden” will be constructed at Will Rogers Gardens in Oklahoma City, designed for people with Alzheimer’s or another dementia and their families. The project is funded by a grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and its Parks and Public Space Initiative.

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

Come out for the Multi-Faith and Community Leaders Workshop, “Serving families Facing Dementia.” Thursday, March 19, 2020 at Due West UMC in Marietta, GA. Admission is free. Register here.