USA2 SPOTLIGHT

Make your voice heard! Demand Congress be the CHANGE for Alzheimer’s today. This game-changing legislation will only pass if we speak out. More than any phone call or letter, an in-person town hall shows our representatives their constituents will not wait on action to stop Alzheimer’s. That’s why we’re asking you to be a voice for UsAgainstAlzheimer’s and speak out. Check-out our tools to make it easy for you.

MUST READS

According to an August 9, 2018 McKnight’s Long-Term Care News article, a new study from Penn State found that providers can improve screening questions for early detection of Alzheimer's disease and aging-related problems. The most common problems revolve around vagueness, confusing questions that may trigger emotional responses, and an assumption that behavior or experience is the same. "When we ask people questions, we assume that they see the questions the same way we do. However, that clearly isn't the case. What we might see as a straightforward question — like, 'Do you have problems with your memory?' — may mean something very different for older adults,” said Jacqueline Mogle.

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

An August 7, 2018 Spectrum News 13 article looked at a study from Florida Tech utilizing laser light to switch on glutamate, which plays a key role in brain activities linked to emotion and memory, to measure parts of the brain that release electrical signals. The light activates inactive neurotransmitters, which leads to the firing of neurons that could be responsible for Alzheimer's disease. According to Nasri Nesnas, “We have to understand what is going on in the brain that causes these diseases. This is a big step forward (in) understanding the details of how neurons communicate.”

CLINICAL TRIAL SPOTLIGHT

An August 8, 2018 Los Angeles Times article focused on California as a hub of Alzheimer’s disease research. The state has more Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers mandated by Congress than any other state. UCI MIND (UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders) is running two AD clinical trials in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study at UC San Diego. The EXERT Study tests whether exercise can help people with mild memory loss prevent or delay the path to AD. The NEAT study tests whether the vitamin B3 component nicotinamide, at high daily doses, can reverse changes in tau protein brain tangles. To find out if you are eligible for either study, e-mail: [email protected]. 

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

The George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers announced their Town Square® Adult Day Center will open on Monday, August 13, 2018. Town Square® was designed to bring peace and joy to loved ones with dementia by taking them back in time to a place where their memories are the strongest via the Reminiscence Therapy Center.

Read the “Longevity Economics: Leveraging the Advantages of an Aging Society” report from The Gerontological Society of America. People are reaching traditional retirement age with many years of expected life remaining and want to continue contributing to society. Actions are needed to address ageism and age discrimination, develop coherent policies and laws regarding retirement and pensions that recognize this new reality.