USA2 SPOTLIGHT

(ICYMI) A September 7, 2017 Caregiver Homes blog post listed the 50 best dementia books for anyone coping with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. The list includes books that are bestsellers, earned high reader ratings, won awards or were written by experts and loved ones who share insights into supporting and caring for someone with dementia. Amongst the top 50 were books by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Partners B. Smith and husband Dan Gasby, “Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help, and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer's,” and Lisa Hirsch, “My Mom, My Hero: Alzheimer's – A Mother and Daughter's Bittersweet Journey,” as well as UsA2 Board Member Greg O'Brien’s, “On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer’s.

MUST READS

A September 14, 2017 USC News article reported a study testing a vaccine and oral medication to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s in older adults who are at increased risk for developing AD. According to lead study investigator Lon Schneider, “One of the challenges in developing new medications for Alzheimer’s is that researchers tend to test medications on people with more advanced Alzheimer’s, and the medications are simply not proving to be effective. By intervening 10 to 12 years before Alzheimer’s manifests, we may be able to stop it before it begins or delay the symptoms.” You may be eligible for the study if you are aged 60 to 75, with normal cognition, and willing undergo genetic testing for the apolipoprotein e4 (APOE4) gene. For information about participation, contact Nadine Diaz at (323) 442-7600 or [email protected].

A September 14, 2017 New Scientist article spotlighted an artificial intelligence technique, utilizing non-invasive MRI scans, to identify changes in the brains of people likely to get Alzheimer’s disease. It detects these changes almost a decade before doctors can diagnose from symptoms alone. The AI, developed by Nicola Amoroso and Marianna La Rocca from the University of Bari in Italy, relies on a machine-learning algorithm to discern structural changes caused by AD.

According to a September 14, 2017 The New York Times article, a new study finds that birthplace may be associated with the risk for dementia. People born in the “stroke belt” states of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, South Carolina and West Virginia—where rates of stroke are higher than in the rest of the country—have a higher rate of dementia, even if they relocate. Adverse social and economic conditions early in life may be contributing factors.

RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A September 14, 2017 AlzForum article looked at a new report from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging which finds that male mice on a ketogenic diet were likelier to reach old age than controls, while retaining their youthful heart health and memory capacities. Ketogenic diets are extreme high-fat regimens that induce production of ketone bodies in the blood. This may inform future therapies for age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES

A September 14, 2017 University of Hawai’i News article highlighted a new clinical drug trial to reduce inflammation in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. The trial involves an investigational therapy, NP001, and aims to see if a single dose will affect blood markers that indicate inflammation in people with mild-to-moderate AD.