USA2 SPOTLIGHT

Take our latest A-LIST What Matters Most: Emotions survey. Whether you are living with dementia or MCI, worried about your brain health, or are a current or past caregiver, you can feel everything from guilt, to loneliness, to peace of mind, depending on the day. We want to understand your feelings better in order to help others. Take this survey on the emotions you’ve experienced, how you manage these feelings, and your advice for others. A-LIST is an initiative of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. Join the A-LIST to participate in all our surveys!

INDUSTRY UPDATE

An October 25, 2018 Reuters Health News release reported that Eisai scientists presented latest data on their BAN2401 experimental Alzheimer’s disease drug at the CTAD conference this week. According to the article, “Leerink analyst Geoffrey Porges called the data unconvincing and confusing. He said the small number of patients remaining on the drug after 18 months and a lack of clear dose responses diminish the reliability of Thursday’s data.”

MUST READS

An October 25, 2018 Time Health article looked at some hidden reasons why family caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias are so stressed-out, including significant physical, financial and mental burdens. According to the article, “Being a caregiver is also expensive and can interfere with one’s career. Massachusetts this year joined a small but growing group of states to pass paid-family-leave laws, but there is currently no such law at the federal level. About 60% of Alzheimer’s caregivers said they faced financial problems because of their role, according to a June survey from the nonprofit advocacy group UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.”

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

According to an October 25, 2018 Medscape article, new topline results released this week at CTAD from a phase 3 trial of the experimental Alzheimer’s disease drug, oral GV-971, met the primary endpoint of significant change from baseline on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale, compared with those who received placebo. According to the article, “GV-971 “consistently showed a cognitive benefit” and it has “promise as a new therapy for Alzheimer's disease,” Jeffrey Cummings, MD, professor of neurology, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Ohio, said in the release.”

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

An October 25, 2018 The Times of India article spotlighted the work of researchers at Cardiff University’s Dementia Research Institute, who are studying fruit flies to understand brain function, including Alzheimer’s disease. “Flies allow us to do imaging techniques which we aren't able to do in other model systems. If we find a gene in the human genetic studies that looks like it’s linked to Alzheimer’s disease - and flies have it - it allows us to have a very rapid, inexpensive system, which we can test to see how these affect brain function,” said Cardiff lecturer Owen Peters.

PROFILES IN COURAGE

(ICYMI) An October 5, 2018 United States Postal Service Heroes’ Corner post commended Rural Carrier Associate Camille Garrett, who stopped in the middle of her shift to assist a woman who has early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The woman was returning home from a medical appointment and was lost on the side of the road. According to the post, “Officer in Charge Amanda King called Garrett “a very caring person who takes pride in her work. She knew she needed to step in to ensure this woman’s safety,” King said. “I believe she was meant to be there at that place and time to assist this family.””

DEMENTIA AND THE ARTS

An October 23, 2018 The Guardian Theatre article reviewed “Sundowning,” a stage play about dementia now playing in London. According to the review, “Dementia is a heartbreaker. It’s also a nightmare to stage: repetitive, meandering and often deeply boring. But dementia will touch so many of us, and it’s important to create plays that explore this condition with unflinching compassion… Muthy [writer] nails the way sensory experiences can burst through the dementia haze. Against the backdrop of Daniel Denton’s melting projections, as if the weather itself is sliding away, Betty and Alyssa dance and sing together. They enjoy the smell of moisturiser, the feel of a hug or the taste of a wine gum – all those pure pleasures that dementia cannot erode.”