MUST READS

According to an April 1, 2020 Being Patient article, research into a rare childhood neurodegenerative disorder may have implications for Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Susan White of Murdoch Children’s Research Institute found a link to unchecked activation of the microglia causing inflammation in the brain, which is also tied to AD. “It’s intriguing to me that there’s some overlap with the pathogenesis of more common neurodegenerative adult diseases like Alzheimer’s in [which] we see that inappropriate activation of the microglia. And so maybe, just maybe, there’s something we can learn from this ultra-rare neurodegenerative disorder which can help us better understand the devastating disease that is Alzheimer’s,” said White.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

An April 1, 2020 Medical Xpress article focused on a collaboration between scientists in China and British Columbia looking at the role of amyloid beta in late-onset Alzheimer's disease. They found that people with the ECE2 gene have a heightened risk of developing AD. According to the article, “The researchers are now screening further for genetic mutations in a larger dataset as a way to validate these findings and to search for other variants in the ECE2 gene that could be contributing to Alzheimer's symptoms.” Also covered by EurekAlert! 

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A March 31, 2020 AlzForum article spotlighted research on the appearance of phosphorylated tau in plasma, prior to outward signs of dementia, holding promise for a blood test for early Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists at Lund University in Sweden and the University of California, San Francisco each used a p-tau181 immunoassay for their research. According to the article, “P-tau181 is the main predictor of conversion to AD dementia,” said [Lund’s Oskar] Hansson… This opens up the possibility of using a simple blood test to predict and track dementia.”

OPINION

An April 1, 2020 Clarksville NOW op-ed by Laura Musgrave highlighted The Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020, which includes the Younger-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Act, addressing the gap in care and services for people with early-onset AD. It will allow for access to nutritional and supportive services, and respite care. According to Musgrave, “My dear sister Joanne was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s at the young age of 51. She was not entitled to the benefits and services that could have helped her and her caregiver husband so much… But by Congress moving forward and providing this support, other families will be able to navigate through this journey with a bit more help.”