June 09, 2016

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

A June 9, 2016 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s press release announced The BrightFocus Foundation will recognize the accomplishments and contributions of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s board member Meryl Comer, who also serves as President & CEO of the Geoffrey Beene Foundation Alzheimer’s Initiative. According to UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Chairman George Vradenburg, “Meryl is this nation’s most articulate and visible caregiver advocate and a great example of the courage and tenacity of Alzheimer’s caregivers generally, who experience grave emotional, financial and physical tolls of the disease.” 


MUST READS 

A June 9, 2016 Science Alert article reported that a team from Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine and Durin Technologies, Inc. have developed a’proof of concept' trial of a new blood test that has "unparalleled accuracy" in detecting the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. According to the article, “The test is designed to detect an early stage of Alzheimer's disease called mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and distinguish it from similar cases of mental decline that are caused by other factors such as vascular issues, chronic depression, alcohol abuse, and the side effects of certain drugs. For the trial, Nagele and his team took blood samples from 236 participants, including 50 who had been diagnosed with MCI, 50 with mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease, 50 healthy controls, and the remainder had been diagnosed with mild-moderate Parkinson's disease, early-stage Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, or breast cancer.”

A June 8, 2016 Long-Term Living article reported that “The Senate included the Health, Outcomes, Planning and Education (HOPE) for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 857) in its fiscal year 2017 funding bill, approved Tuesday by the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee.”


DISPARITIES SPOTLIGHT

A June 8, 2016 NewsWors.org article highlighted a University of Pennsylvania Alzheimer’s intervention focused on African Americans. According to the article, “Kathy Jedzrewski, deputy director of the Institute on Aging at the University of Pennsylvania, leads a study testing the effect of African dance on the quality of life, mood and cognitive ability of older people. She and hundreds of researchers across the country are looking for ways to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.”


RELEVANT READS FROM AROUND THE WEB

Big Think: Alzheimer’s Is Expected to Bankrupt Medicare, So What's Being Done?

SmithsonianMag.com: Using Virtual Reality To Walk in the Shoes of Someone With Alzheimer's

The Wall Street Journal: He Missed Woodstock, and It Inspired His Life’s Work