September 20, 2017

Today’s Top Alzheimer’s News

MUST READS

A September 20, 2017 Alzheimer’s News Today article reported the launch of a Phase 2 clinical trial for the investigational drug trigriluzole, aimed at people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Abnormalities in the signaling of the neurotransmitter glutamate contribute to Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative disorders. According to Dr. Howard Feldman, Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study, “The preclinical evidence for the active metabolite of trigriluzole to modulate glutamate and confer neuroprotective effects in AD patients appears to be compelling, and the new formulation of trigriluzole may improve its pharmacological properties and potential for efficacy in AD.”


According to a September 20, 2017 The Royal Gazette article, Bermuda needs a national plan to deal with its “dementia time bomb.” “World Alzheimer’s Month is about remembering those affected by dementia, including many who may be worried about developing dementia themselves… One of the tragic realities about the disease is that most people who are living with it have not received a formal diagnosis,” said Dr. Cousins-Simpson, Co-Founder of Bermuda Alzheimer’s and Memory Services.



A September 19, 2017 The Journal Record opinion piece by Tom Cole, Chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education subcommittee, applauds the hard work by Congress to authorize and appropriate funds for government-run programs before the September 30, 2018 fiscal year deadline. For the third consecutive fiscal year, funding was increased at the National Institutes of Health by $1.1 billion, including for Alzheimer’s research.


DISPARITIES SPOTLIGHT

A September 19, 2017 Health Imaging article spotlighted a new $12 million Alzheimer’s disease research study at the University of North Texas to understand why Hispanics develop cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease sooner in life than other ethnic subpopulations in the US. The study seeks volunteer participation from 1,000 Mexican-Americans and 1,000 non-Hispanic whites. According to UNT Professor Sid O’Bryant, PhD, “This is the first project to specifically attempt to understand how different biological causes relate to Alzheimer’s disease across ethnicities.” 


REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

A September 20, 2017 UTSA Today article focused on a new collaboration at The University of Texas at San Antonio to tackle complex, large-scale research projects for a greater understanding of the brain’s complexity and what causes its decline. Researchers specializing in neurodegenerative disease, brain circuits and electrical signaling, traumatic brain injury, regenerative medicine, stem cell therapies, medicinal chemistry, neuroinflammation, drug design and psychology will work together to develop new and more effective methods for treating debilitating conditions including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, addiction and traumatic brain injury.


GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

A September 20, 2017 The Asahi Shimbun article highlighted the work by former reporter and editor Hiroko Sugawara to create a “dementia supporters” system that helps patients and their families. She established the Community-Care Policy Network in Japan in 2001. According to Sugawara, “In the past, dementia was associated with such descriptions as “crazy” or “valueless.” There was a strong sense of shame associated with the condition. For that reason, many Japanese people expressed concerns about their fear of getting old. Dementia was considered a grave issue facing Japan as it moved rapidly toward a graying society… I came up with the idea of a system that would allow anyone to learn about the issue, with the backing of a proper organization, such as a local government or a company.”