RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A July 30, 2019 NIH article looked at a blood test which is showing promise to help with the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. California-based Amprion developed technology, the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) system, which detects very small amounts of proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid and bloodstream, initially created for Parkinson’s disease. According to the article, “The ongoing NIA funding [Small Business grants] is specific to detecting traces of amyloid and tau aggregates. Amprion hypothesizes that detection of misfolded amyloid and tau oligomers circulating in cerebrospinal fluid and blood may be the basis for an early Alzheimer’s biomarker.”

YOUTH FOCUS

A July 30, 2019 Slash Gear article highlighted the work of Canadian teen Kai Leong, who created a smartphone app which detects gait, for the eventual early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Leong’s own grandmother was misdiagnosed with depression before she learned she had AD, and he decided to do something about it. According to the article, “The app’s functionality centers on measuring a person’s gait. Once the app is activated and the person places their phone in their back pocket, their movement is measured. The app utilizes sensors built in to the phone to record the movements of the user, then analyses the results. Walking patterns, Leong told CBC, are “validated markers of neurodegenerative diseases” such as Alzheimers. “They’re often overlooked because of how expensive and how inaccessible current walking analysis or gait analysis is.””

HUMAN INTEREST

A July 29, 2019 Knox Village Soup article spotlighted Fred Kilfoil, who is “Outrunning Alzheimer’s” to raise money for AD research. Kilfoil has a ‘strong family history’ of Alzheimer’s and believes lifestyle and prevention are beneficial to cognitive health. According to the article, “Now in his 70s, Kilfoil himself began changing the way he exercises when he was in his 40s. An avid gym-goer, he decided at that stage in his life to take up running “as something different.” His original plan for the fundraiser was to run every other day to let his body adjust to the new routine, but the route proved longer than originally expected and he's stepped up his pace.”

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

A July 29, 2019 Bridge article focused on the graying of Michigan’s population, a state aging faster than the national average, and accelerating. This trend will strain the state’s healthcare system, with a shortage of primary care physicians, geriatric specialists and home health aides projected. According to the article, “That could mean costs, direct and indirect, exceeding $15 billion in expenses borne by caregivers (in lost wages as they care for loved ones) and state and federal governments. In 2018, Alzheimer’s patients in Michigan accounted for more than $6 billion in Medicaid and Medicare charges, and another $7.4 billion in uncompensated care from more than 500,000 family members of Alzheimer’s patients.”

(ICYMI) According to a July 5, 2019 Cleveland article, members of the Westshore CERT (Community Emergency Response Training) classes (Westlake, OH) are learning how to care for people with dementia, and recognize the broad range of symptoms. As part of their training, participants had their own dementia-like, virtual experience, to better empathize with patients. According to the article, “…We need to remember that dementia patients have a right to respect and dignity just like anyone else. In the presence of a person with dementia, one’s behavior towards them should be supportive and reassuring, using a calm tone of voice. They should not feel rushed. Holding their hand often helps to calm them too.”