MUST READS

According to an April 10, 2018 Medical News Today article, a new study explains "sundowning,” or why people with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia can become more restless, agitated, aggressive or confused in the early evening. It was found that the biological clock links to brain cells, or neurons, that control aggression. Biological clocks (specific groups of proteins that communicate with cells in nearly every organ and most tissue in the body) are found nearly everywhere in the body and synchronized by a "master clock" in the hypothalamus region of the brain.

MUST WATCH

An April 10, 2018 Today broadcast segment with Kathie Lee and Hoda talked to actor and comedian Seth Rogen and his wife, actor-screenwriter Lauren Miller, whose mother has Alzheimer’s disease, about their “Hilarity for Charity” annual Alzheimer’s fundraiser. Rogen said about the opportunity to stream this year’s live show on Netflix, “As we’re trying to raise awareness, it seems like having access to hundreds of millions of people is a good way to do that.”

An April 10, 2018 Forbes “Brainstorm Health” video segment with Dr. Sanjay Gupta posed the question to Dr. Richard J. Caselli of the Mayo Clinic, “should we get genetic testing to learn if we are at heightened risk Alzheimer’s disease?” Dr. Caselli says, ‘no,’ don’t get tested, because knowing your status “doesn’t influence the therapeutic options that we have for patients.”

DISPARITIES SPOTLIGHT

An April, 2018 Endocrine News article reported that researchers may have discovered a factor that contributes to racial discrepancies in developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia for African Americans. They tested the hypothesis that carriers of the Thr92AlaD2 polymorphism have an increased risk for AD. African Americans are more likely to have mixed tissue pathologies compared to European Americans.

CAREGIVING CORNER

A ClinicalTrials.gov post described a New York University School of Medicine study, “Tools for Distance Delivery of an Evidence-based AD Family Caregiver Intervention.” The goal is to evaluate the efficacy of an online videoconferencing version of the NYU Caregiver Intervention, counseling and support intervention for spouse caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia. The intervention is offered in person, however there are barriers to participation including geographic distance, impediments to older adults leaving their homes, and travel considerations for counselors.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

An April 11, 2018 Colorado Real Estate Journal article spotlighted author Megan Carnarius, who penned “A Deeper Perspective on Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias.” She will keynote the 2018 Senior Housing and Care Conference and Expo on April 17th in Denver.  According to Carnarius, “Twenty-five years ago, people really were afraid of people with Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia. They really didn’t know how to talk about it. Today, everyone has been touched by someone with Alzheimer’s, whether it is your father, grandfather or someone else in your family.”