USA2 SPOTLIGHT

An August 14, 2017 Black News article spotlighted playwright Garrett Davis’ Performing Arts series, including the play, “Forget Me Not.” This play is more personal for Davis, as it was written to provide closure for his real-life inability to cope with and care for his Grandma Goodness, who was stricken with Alzheimer’s. His outreach, advocacy and awareness for Alzheimer’s led to successful partnerships with the UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Network, Emory Hospital’s Brain Center and AstraZeneca, that allow him to reach more people and make a difference in people’s lives.

MUST READS

A September, 2017 Harvard Health Publication’s Harvard Medical School article (subscription only) reported that sufficient sleep may help protect against Alzheimer's disease. There is a link between poor sleep and a higher risk of accumulating beta-amyloid, an AD hallmark.

An August 14, 2017 The Washington Post parenting perspective piece by journalist Nicole Collier (subscription only) explored her journey as a mother, which she chronicled on social media. Her paternal grandfather had Alzheimer’s disease, so she didn’t want to forget a thing. “Now that I am a mother, moments and memories are something that I crave more and more… I need to capture them, file them away in the safest recesses of my memory while I still can… I know I need a backup system, because all hard drives, even those we call brains, fail us sometimes.” 

An August 14, 2017 Huffington Post article suggested that FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb reexamine the need for proof of two experimental endpoints relating to Alzheimer’s disease. All other diseases areas require proof of only one endpoint for regulatory approval, but AD needs both function and cognition. This unnecessarily elevates barriers to clinical trials and therefore new innovations. 

RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

An August 14, 2017 Medical Xpress article spotlighted a new ultra lightweight wireless sensor system, the TaiNi, that records brain activity data in mice via wireless recording devices. EEG recordings are conducted to understand neural activity and its relation to cognitive tasks such as memory, learning and decision-making, as well as brain disorders like schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.

An August 14, 2017 Medical Xpress article focused on research into small proteins called granulins which maintain brain health, suppress neuroinflammation and prevent neurodegeneration. Mutations in this gene cause frontotemporal dementia, which is incurable, and the most common dementia in people under 60. Genetic variants are also a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.