UPCOMING EVENTS

On June 22, 2016 the Global Council on Alzheimer’s Disease (GCAD) and Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals, Inc. are hosting a summer webinar series, and we would like to invite you to join us. For the second webinar in this series, we will share insights from a groundbreaking collaboration between the oncologist Dr. Harold Freeman and experts in Alzheimer’s, including Dr. Richard Stefanacci and Ruth Gay. Sign up here.

MUST READS 

A June 14, 2016 Newsweek article reported on the use of brain-computer interfaces to “repair severe damage done to the mind-body bridge by injury or disease.” According to the article, “For those who have lost a loved one to Alzheimer’s, one of the most shocking moments is when they realize that their mom or dad or significant other, once fully functioning, can no longer remember what to do with a toothbrush, let alone who is the nation’s secretary of state. The hope, Hochberg says, is that BCI technology could eventually use computers and integrated chips to harness the power of the millions of human neurons that still work in someone with severe memory loss or other cognitive impairment, so that patients could retain control of not only movement and speech but also their memory and ability to think. With only 100 neurons available to feed into computers today, that’s a far-off proposition. But it’s a start.”

A June 13, 2016 MedicalXpress.com article reported that “New molecular imaging research is revealing how tau, rather than amyloid-deposition, may be more directly instigating neuronal dysfunction, say presenters at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).”

A June 13, 2016 STAT News article reported that “After years of declines, the pharmaceutical industry is experiencing a greater rate of success with its clinical trials in recent years, according to a new analysis.” According to the article, “Between 2012 and 2014, more than 11 percent of clinical trials succeeded, which meant compounds being tested survived the arduous journey from the laboratory to the pharmacy counter. This reversed a downward trend seen over the past 20 years, according to executives at McKinsey & Co., the consulting firm that conducted the analysis and does consulting work for drug makers.”

A June 13, 2016 The Wall Street Journal article reported that studies of low-calorie diet show “promise in preventing and treating illnesses ranging from asthma and diabetes to multiple sclerosis.” According to the article, “Dr. Mattson is currently doing a study looking at the effects of calorie restriction in obese, elderly people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease to see if it will improve their cognitive function.”