USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

A June 16, 2015 USAgainstAlzheimer’s press statement announced the launch of Faith United Against Alzheimer’s Coalition (FUAAC), “a cooperative effort to mobilize all elements of the faith community in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.” According to Reverend Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe, GBCS general secretary, “Clergy and congregations are on the frontlines of this devastating disease, offering compassionate support to people who suffer from Alzheimer’s and their families. United Methodists historically have been on the leading edge of addressing critical health needs across the globe. Alzheimer’s is just such a critical disease, and we need to lift our voices to influence public policy that will fund research to address and cure this disease.” 

MUST READS

A June 16, 2015 The Wall Street Journal roundup of letters-to-the-editor in response to a June 9th David Shenk and Rudy Tanzi op-edcalled for a coordinated strategy to defeat Alzheimer’s. According to Dr. Paul J. Marangos, co-founder of SD Pharmaceuticals Inc., “It is time to marshal and coordinate this sprawling infrastructure, remove it from academia and charities and attack this problem with a focused milestone-driven, goal-oriented NASA type approach.”

A June 15, 2015 Santa Cruz Sentinel article highlighted the UC Davis Alzheimer's Research Center’s efforts to engage individuals in clinical trials. According to the article, “'He’s seen scans of his brain, looked at his spinal fluid, taken physical and mental tests and talked with doctors. I didn’t know what Alzheimer’s was,' Young said. 'I’ve learned quite a few things.’ He’s the kind of person — curious about himself and interested in contributing to medical science — that Alzheimer’s center researchers say will sign up for a nationwide drug trial for healthy adults. Clinics at Stanford and UC San Francisco are also participating. They are looking for people 65 to 85 with no overt signs of the mind-robbing disease but whose brains show evidence of the brain-cell-killing amyloid plaque protein.”

RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY

A June 16, 2015 Medical Xpress article highlighted an Australian art program aimed at lessening isolation among dementia sufferers. According to the article, “For Gullotta, the benefits of the program can be catalogued as the bus departs with the latest group – social inclusion, intellectual and emotional stimulation, evocative experiences for people with dementia, new talking points for caregivers – but a formal examination of the program is now under way. Dr Gail Kenning, of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), has been commissioned by the gallery to evaluate arts engagement for people with dementia. She will look at the number and frequency of visitors but also the individual and his or her response to the art.”