MUST READS

According to a February 7, 2018 Medical Xpress article, a new study from researchers at the NYU School of Medicine argues that Alzheimer’s disease is likely triggered by the failure of a system that clears wastes from the brain, as opposed to the build-up of amyloid protein. They suggest that standard diagnostic tools fail to catch future AD in many patients younger than age 70. "Once you stop assuming that the starting point of Alzheimer disease is marked by the buildup of Aβ42 in brain cells, a different picture emerges. By recognizing an earlier disease phase, we may be able to start treating earlier and in tailored ways based on a better understanding of disease biology,” said lead study author Dr. Mony de Leon of the Center for Brain Health at NYU Langone Heath.

DISPARITIES SPOTLIGHT

In celebration of Black History Month, a February 7, 2018 Caribbean Life article honored Alzheimer’s disease researcher Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, the first known black psychiatrist in America and an early pioneer in the fight against AD. In 1904, Dr. Fuller traveled to Germany and collaborated with Dr. Alois Alzheimer on his research. The mental health facility at Boston University bears his name.

A February 7, 2018 STAT special report spotlighted the Tour for Diversity program, a group of young doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals. The Tour travels around the US meeting with young people of color who are interested in health career paths. African-Americans make up 12 percent of the population, but only about 6 percent of doctors are black. STAT interviewed some of the Tour’s leaders.

DEMENTIA AND THE ARTS

A February 6, 2018 Peta Pixel article displayed the photographs of Mario Zorzi, an Italian amateur film photographer who has been documenting his dad’s journey with Alzheimer’s disease since 2011. The project, “Nelle mani del Padre” (“In the hands of the Father”), focuses on his father’s hands and gestures. According to Zorzi, “I am using hands as a “tool”, a way to document the progression of Alzheimer’s as well as the everyday life of both my father and my mother, who is the caregiver and who copes with every kind of needs he has.”

RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A February 7, 2018 Medical Xpress article highlighted a new joint study suggesting an association between overactive and cytosolic BRCA1, the major guardian of genomic stability, and neuron death in Alzheimer's disease. According to the article, “Upregulated BRCA1 is associated with both aberrant DNA damage response (DDR) and dysfunction of presenilin 1 (PS1). The findings support the hypothesis that genotoxic stress manifested among others by activation of DDR and destabilization of cell cycle checkpoints cause neuronal death in Alzheimer's disease.”

A February 6, 2018 EurekAlert! release reported that researchers at the University of Colorado have found a connection between inflammation biomarkers in both blood plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and markers of Alzheimer's disease associated pathology. They looked at whether markers of inflammation in blood plasma reflected inflammation of the central nervous system. According to study author Brianne Bettcher, PhD, "Results from our study suggest that although CSF markers of inflammation are strong predictors, both plasma and CSF markers of inflammation independently relay information about AD-related pathology and neuronal damage in head-to-head comparisons.” 

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center offers a free publication, “Dementia, Caregiving and Transportation,” providing transportation tips for caregivers, information on types of transportation available, dementia-friendly tips for transit drivers, items to include in a travel kit, destination cards that can be tailored for each traveler, and a list of resources.