USA2 SPOTLIGHT

Listen to a July 19, 2019 “Seekers of Meaning Podcast,” where host Rabbi Richard Address, a Founding Member of ClergyAgainstAlzheimer’s/Faith United Against Alzheimer’s Coalition, spoke with guests UsA2 Advocates Lynda Everman and Dr. Don Wendorf, about their new “Dementia-friendly Worship: A Multifaith Handbook for Chaplains, Clergy and Faith Communities.” The book supports the work of UsA2’s ClergyAgainstAlzheimer’s and the Faith United Against Alzheimer’s Coalition. Don and Lynda also talk about their work creating dementia-friendly faith communities.

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A July 19, 2019 STAT News article focused on the link between seizures and Alzheimer’s disease. Some people experience seizures in later-stage AD, and new evidence, shared this week at AAIC, is showing that seizures may precede obvious signs of memory loss. According to the article, “It’s been notoriously difficult to tease out the causes of Alzheimer’s, which is complex, progresses slowly, and may have many different triggers. Finding an association between seizures and dementia is by no means proof of causality, but the new studies excluded people with known risk factors for both epilepsy and Alzheimer’s, such as cerebrovascular disease and traumatic brain injury.”

A July 17, 2019 New Scientist article focused on a new, small study from Cortexyme targeting gum disease bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis, to try and treat Alzheimer’s. Trial participants who took the COR388 oral medicine, which blocks the activity of toxins released by the bacteria, showed improvements in blood and spinal fluid molecules. According to the article, “After four weeks, there were small improvements in two kinds of tests for dementia severity for those who got the medicine, but these were too small to be classed as statistically significant... However, there were falls in a marker of inflammation called RANTES found in the blood, the firm told the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Los Angeles today. Inflammation is known to be linked to Alzheimer’s.”

BRAIN HEALTH

A July 18, 2019 NPR All Things Considered radio segment reported on the EXERT study, which is looking at the potential for aerobic exercise to prevent cognitive decline. The study prescribes exercise, four times a week, as an Alzheimer’s disease prevention medication for people with mild memory issues who are at high risk for AD. The YMCA serves as the testing laboratory. “We will not only understand whether the intervention helps people on a clinical outcome but actually what the scientific basis is. You're invoking optimism, you're invoking hope, you're touching on collegiality, you're creating a peer group for people,” said Howard Feldman of the University of California, San Diego.

YOUTH FOCUS

A July 18, 2019 New Atlas article spotlighted a new study suggesting that the APOE4 gene variant, which is strongly associated with increased Alzheimer's risk in later life, could affect cognitive health in childhood. Research shows that people carrying the gene score slightly lower on childhood IQ tests, an average of two points lower for every copy of the APOE4 gene, which is statistically significant. According to the article, “This effect was much more prominent in females than males, with women averaging three IQ points less for each copy of APOE4 carried. Although it is unclear why the effect seems to be more prominent in females than males, the observation interestingly builds on the growing interest in understanding why women suffer from Alzheimer's at higher rates than men.”

A July 16, 2019 Medscape article highlighted a study out of France on an animated brain, “Robbie,” to promote brain health in children, including healthy lifestyle habits and early prevention. My Brain Robbie games and educational materials are focused on students as young as primary school. According to the article, “The initiative aims to reduce health inequities for all children, said [Eleonore] Bayen [MD, PhD, of Sorbonne University]. “By delivering these healthy messages and explaining these simple healthy lifestyles, we want every child to get the same information to protect their brain,” she said. In addition to children, the program can be used to educate parents and grandparents and people who can't read or write, added Bayen.”