MUST READS

A December 17, 2018 Medical Xpress release from UT Southwestern Medical Center spotlighted the work of researchers to develop a drug to potentially prevent late-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 50 to 80 percent of at-risk adults. ApoE4 is the root cause of a “traffic jam” inside cells that take up ApoE4, and researchers found that lowering the pH of endosomal transport vesicles cleared that traffic jam. “If we can negate the ApoE4 process early, we may be able to prevent late-onset Alzheimer's altogether for many people so that they will never get sick,” said lead study author Dr. Joachim Herz.

PERSONALIZED MEDICINE

A December 13, 2018 The Atlantic article spotlighted a study from Stanford University psychologists looking at potential placebo effects of DNA testing, specifically how participants would react after learning their genetic propensities for exercise and diet. Can learning such results change both behavior and the body at a molecular level, and end up being a self-fulfilling prophecy? According to the article, “Turnwald and Crum, in their study, decided to straight-up give participants a random genetic result. Considering the deception involved, Turnwald says, they didn’t want to deliver a made-up genetic risk for diseases such as Alzheimer’s or cancer, but they did want to pick something meaningful. They settled on obesity."

ALZ TECH

According to a December 16, 2018 The Guardian article, scientists are using VR (virtual reality) to identify people who may develop Alzheimer’s disease by testing their navigational skills. “It is usually thought memory is the first attribute affected in Alzheimer’s. But difficulty with navigation is increasingly recognised as one of the very earliest symptoms. This may predate the onset of other symptoms,” said Cambridge University neuroscientist, project leader Dennis Chan. Also covered by New Telegraph.

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A December 17, 2018 Edmonton Journal article looked at how University of Alberta researchers are trying to predict Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms arise by analyzing saliva samples. Their goal is to find the earliest signals, in order to prevent or delay AD as much as possible. “We are working on comparing blood and saliva results — if we can get the same results, that will indicate that saliva will be a powerful tool for the detection of Alzheimer’s disease from a global perspective,” said Professor Roger Dixon.

CAREGIVING CORNER

A December 16, 2018 The Advocate Alzheimer’s Q&A wondered if weighted blankets can benefit people with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. A weighted blanket is a non-medical option which produces serotonin through deep pressure therapy, thereby reducing anxiety and aggression, calming nerves, providing comfort and promoting sleep. According to the article, “For the person with Alzheimer's or dementia, restlessness and insomnia often occur, and lack of a good night's sleep can be the root causes of agitated behaviors during the day. The blanket can help them relax and get a good night's rest.”

FEEL GOOD STORY OF THE DAY

A December 16, 2018 Daily Gazette article spotlighted “Elf Day,” sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Society, raising awareness and funds for dementia research at at Culver Square in Colchester (UK). According to shopping center manager David Robertson, “Behind all the festive fun, there’s a serious reason we were involved in Elf Day. That reason is dementia. With someone developing it every three minutes, dementia is the number one cause of death, so we want to do our bit to help.” 

ICYMI

A July 11, 2018 Medium article by minister and writer Lydia Sohn interviewed 90-somethings about their greatest joys and biggest regrets. According to Sohn, “Because I’m a minister in a mainline denomination with an aging base, the people I primarily interact with are over the age of 60… I set out to research the internal lives of older people. Who really were they, and what had they learned in life? Many of them were flattered by my interest, as America tends to forget people as they age… The biggest impact they left on me was not reprioritization but being okay with aging. I confess that prior to my conversations, I had an intense fear about growing old. This, I realize, was what motivated me to begin this research in the first place.”