USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A February 28, 2015 NPR All Things Considered installment of the series “Inside Alzheimer’s” featured USAgainstAlzheimer’s partner Greg O’Brien. According to the O'Brien, "Alzheimer's can break the body down after it starts to break the brain down, because brain signals get all whacked out…I'm 64 now. When I was 62 I got my mile down to 5 minutes and 20 seconds — which is pretty darn good. But I did it in rage. I was trying to outrun Alzheimer's."

In Case You Missed It: On February’s Alzheimer’s Talks, USAgainstAlzheimer's was joined by Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton, R. Pete Vanderveen Chair in Therapeutic Discovery and Development and Professor of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering and Neurology at the University of Southern California, who has led groundbreaking research investigating the hormones and neurosteroids that defend and repair the brain’s cells. Listen here or download the Alzheimer’s Talks Podcasts here. Also, sign up for the March Alzheimer's Talk here. 

MUST READS

A March 1, 2015 New York Times article reported that “Federal investigators say they have found evidence of widespread overuse of psychiatric drugs by older Americans with Alzheimer’s disease, and are recommending that Medicare officials take immediate action to reduce unnecessary prescriptions.” According to the article, “But in the study, investigators said officials also needed to focus on overuse of such drugs by people with dementia who live at home or in assisted living facilities…Dementia is most commonly associated with a decline in memory, but doctors say it can also cause changes in mood or personality and, at times, agitation or aggression. Experts have raised concern about the use of antipsychotic drugs to address behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The Food and Drug Administration says antipsychotic drugs are often associated with an increased risk of death when used to treat older adults with dementia who also have psychosis."

A March 1, 2015 UT San Diego article profiled Dr. Paul Aisen’s efforts to advance Alzheimer’s research. According to the article, “Aisen has headed the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study, a joint program of the National Institute on Aging and UC San Diego, since 2007. It’s the umbrella group responsible for launching dozens of internationally known clinical studies, recruiting more minorities to participate in those tests and developing new diagnostic instruments. That leadership position — along with Aisen’s expertise in designing innovative studies of potential therapies — makes him one of the most important Alzheimer’s researchers in the world. Fellow scientists and pharmaceutical giants from various countries regularly seek his guidance.”