August 17, 2016

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

MUST READS

A September 1, 2016 Scientific American article asked 20 big questions about the future of humanity, including “Will there ever be a cure for Alzheimer’s.” Reisa Sperling, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, responded, “I am not sure if there will be a cure, per se, but I am very hopeful that there will be a successful disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer’s disease within the next decade…Estimates show that a five-year delay in the terrible and expensive dementia stage of the disease would reduce Medicare dementia costs by nearly 50 percent. Most important, that would mean that many older people could die while out ballroom dancing rather than in nursing homes.”

An August 16, 2016 AlzForum.org article highlighted the progress of the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network over its eight year history. According to the article, “At age 8, DIAN has grown up. In 2008, when the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network formally began to study autosomal-dominant AD, the notion of assembling globally dispersed families afflicted with this rare form of AD into a standing research platform seemed radical to observers. In theory, the idea of characterizing the preclinical course of their disease, and using that knowledge to conduct prevention trials, was enticing. But could it really be done? In 2016, at the Alzheimer’s Disease International Conference July 22-28 in Toronto, the answer to that was plainly on display.”

An August 16, 2016 The Dallas Morning News opinion piece by Dr. Jack C. de la Torre, an adjunct professor of psychology at The University of Texas at Austin, called on industry researchers to look beyond the beta amyloid hypothesis. According to Dr. de la Torre, “Common sense dictates that limiting research to a single theory weakens our confidence that good science is being practiced. Consequently, another approach to combat the disease is slowly gaining ground that I believe has merit: prevention. Prevention, rather than finding a dubious nostrum forAlzheimer's, is a more realistic strategy, considering what is known about the pathology of the disease. Prevention should aim at preserving normal cognitive function in people for as long as possible.”

An August 16, 2016 UCLA.edu article reported that “A study by researchers at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior has found that a healthy diet, regular physical activity and a normal body mass index  can reduce the incidence of protein build-ups that are associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.”

An August 16, 2016 Michigan Live article reported that “The U.S. National Institutes of Health will award an estimated $9 million over the next five years to a new statewide center to enhance the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.” According to the article, “The Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Core Center (ADCC) will support researchers and clinicians from the University Research Corridor, comprised of U-M, MSU and WSU…The ADCC will support a wide range of studies on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias while also educating scientists, health care professionals and the public on the causes and treatment of dementias.”

An August 16, 2016 BBC Health article reported that “A new dementia atlas, published by the government, reveals patchy NHS care for the condition across England.” According to the article, “The atlas maps five themes of care - prevention, diagnosis, support, living with dementia and end of life care - using benchmarks for each.”