USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

A January 19, 2016 Huffington Post opinion piece by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s co-founder Trish Vradenburg highlighted B. Smith and Dan Gasby’s new book. According to Vradenburg, “In Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help, and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer's, B. Smith and Dan Gasby tell their story of her devastating early onset Alzheimer's diagnosis and their ongoing fight against this incurable disease. At once a love letter to his wife and a selfless instructional primer for those embarking on the same challenging journey, Dan Gasby outlines what to expect and how to handle the rollercoaster ride of this insidious disease.” 

A January 19, 2016 press statement from UsAgainstAlzheimer’s strategic partner the Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation "announced a partnership with Internet-based Brain Health Registry, launched and led by researchers at UC San Francisco (UCSF), to grow its global registry of potential Alzheimer's clinical trial candidates and accelerate a treatment for Alzheimer's disease by 2025.” "This joint effort represents exciting progress in building a faster pathway to finding a treatment for Alzheimer's disease by 2025," said George Vradenburg, chairman of the Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation and UsAgainstAlzheimer's. 

Upcoming Alzheimer’s Talks: On Tuesday, January 26, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET, caregiver Dan Gasby will be our special guest. Gasby and his wife, model and restaurateur B. Smith, are the co-authors of Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help, and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer's, which shares their unfolding story after B.’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Gasby will share their day-to-day challenges, ways of coping and coming research that may tip the scale, as well as lessons learned along the way. Sign up here.

MUST READS

A January 19, 2016 News Medical article reported on Mayo’s efforts to explore “how Alzheimer's disease targets memory-related brain networks.” According to the article, “ In an effort to bridge the divide between the targeted memory systems and the misfolded proteins and dying cells underneath, Mayo Clinic researchers have turned to the field of complex systems — an emerging field of science that studies how parts of systems give rise to collective behaviors and how the system interacts with its environment.”

A January 18, 2016 Neurology Now article highlighted the link between clinical trials and countering social isolation. According to the article, “Some neurologic conditions can be very isolating, so it’s important to get people out of the house whenever possible. For example, “You don’t want to perpetuate social isolation in people with Alzheimer’s,” says Wolf E. Mehling, MD, a family and integrative medicine specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. Dr. Mehling is the lead investigator for the PairedPLIE (Paired Integrative Home Exercise for Seniors with Dementia and Their Caregivers) trial, which is testing an at-home exercise program for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. The trial starts with four group classes to teach the exercises to the patient and caregiver. Once they’ve learned the basics of the program, they follow the routine at home for 16 weeks, guided by a 20-minute DVD. These initial group training sessions offer the added bonus of promoting social interaction, Dr. Mehling says. And since the ultimate goal of the program is to improve strength and mobility in these patients, the trial may make it easier for them to get out and about.”

INTERESTING READS FROM AROUND THE WEB

STAT News: Obama’s big bet on science 

The Washington Post: New online service targets aging-in-place residents

NorthJersey.com: North Jersey Alzheimer's charity splinters over funding issue

The Wall Street Journal: Brain Training for Anxiety, Depression and Other Mental Conditions

Nature: Dementia: The rising global tide of cognitive impairment (Journal article behind paywall)