USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

A July 23, 2015 Houston Defender article featured the AfricanAmericanNetworkAgainstAlzheimer’s and its work to increase clinical trial engagement in the African American community. According to USA2’s Stephanie Monroe, “We want to find a cure for Alzheimer’s, but worse than not finding a cure is finding a cure that doesn’t work for Black people because we haven’t participated in the research…Only 3 percent of clinical trial participants are African American, so we need to get those numbers way up.” Additional pictures here.

MUST READS

An August 3, 2015 Medical Xpress article reported that new survey of dementia patients and caregivers found that “the majority of respondents ranked caregiving support and resources for long-term care ahead of research for a cure” as funding priorities. According to the article, “The study, 'National Priorities for Dementia Care: Perspectives of Persons Living with Dementia and their Care Partners,' was published in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing. The nationwide survey recorded nearly 700 responses, drawing participants from more than 25 Alzheimer's disease advocacy and patient-support groups. Participants were asked to rank funding priorities based on 11 themes that included care setting, quality of life, and advocacy and awareness. Of the responses, the top five priorities were: (1) Financial resources for respite care and short-term caregiving support - care that typically lasts less than a week and is used to relieve family and daily care providers; (2) Financial resources for long-term care support and aging in place, which includes assistance with nursing home and assisted living expenses; (3) Research for a cure and medication.”

An August 3, 2015 MinnPost article by caregiver Amy Gage offered a glimpse into the demanding role that caregivers play in society. According to Gage, “One in six women has a chance of getting Alzheimer’s by age 65, compared with one in 11 men. I recognize that truth every time I count the female heads at our mother’s memory care building…I’ve been my mother’s primary caretaker since February 2012, when she was diagnosed with the disease. I get the 6 a.m. phone call when she refuses to take her shower. I press the doctor about why he prescribed an anti-depressant without consulting me. I clean the toilet and the sink every time I visit…I note the absence of emotion every time I leave Mom’s building. I turn off the car radio and drive home stony-faced, in silence, seeking the distance between myself and the inevitable.”

RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY 

An August 3, 2015 Futurity.org article reported on new research into the role of amyloid beta 42 in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. According to the article, “Researchers have identified some of the key changes in the aging brain that lead to the increased risk. The changes center on amyloid beta 42, a main ingredient of Alzheimer’s brain plaques. The protein, a natural byproduct of brain activity, normally is cleared from the brain before it can clump together into plaques. Scientists long have suspected it is a primary driver of the disease. ‘We found that people in their 30s typically take about four hours to clear half the amyloid beta 42 from the brain,’ says Randall J. Bateman, a neurology professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and senior author of a paper published in the Annals of Neurology. ‘In this new study, we show that at over 80 years old, it takes more than 10 hours.’”

An August 3, 2015 Science Mag article reported on the latest developments in the legal dispute between the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and the University of Southern California (USC) over control of data from a large, federally funded Alzheimer’s study just got nastier. According to the article, “The universities have markedly different accounts of events leading up to the current conflict. According to a statement released today by UCSD, USC’s cross-complaint is a “collection of distortions, misstatements and outright falsehoods.” It is, UCSD alleges, designed to distract from the fact that Aisen “illegally seized control of data and computer systems that belong to UC San Diego” while on UCSD faculty, “aided and abetted” by USC. The legal dispute “has never been about academic freedom,” UCSD adds.”