USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A January 22, 2020 The Cullman Tribune article spotlighted the work of tireless UsAgainstAlzheimer’s advocates Lynda Everman and Dr. Don Wendorf. The couple teaches ministers and church staff how to be dementia-friendly. Wendorf played music as part of the Grace Place program at Grace Episcopal Church’s ministry, for people with dementia and their families. Both Everman and Wendorf presented Alzheimer’s-themed liturgical stoles to the church’s Priest and Deacon. According to the article, “The couple teaches ministers and church staffs how to lead dementia-friendly worship and develop their congregations into dementia-friendly communities. “That’s a big part of what we do,” said Wendorf. “We hike and we advocate, and play music.””

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A January 23, 2020 The Scientist article reported that a new study found no link between Alzheimer’s disease and the herpes viruses, as previous studies had reported. A collaboration of U.S.-based researchers also found no connection between transcripts of other viruses that have been linked to AD, such as Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus. Still, an association cannot be ruled-out. According to the article, “She [Tara Spires-Jones of Edinburgh University] questions whether reports of high virus levels in Alzheimer’s disease brains could be explained by the disease triggering viral entry into the brain, rather than the pathogens causing the disease. For instance, “there could be virus in the brain because of a disruption of the blood brain barrier that’s caused by disease,” she explains.”

BRAIN HEALTH

A January 23, 2020 Medical Xpress article pointed to a new study finding a link between air pollution from major roads and highways around Metro Vancouver and Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The study reported that living near green, open spaces has a protective effect. “More research is needed, but our findings do suggest that urban planning efforts to increase accessibility to green spaces and to reduce motor vehicle traffic would be beneficial for neurological health,” said lead study author Weiran Yuchi.

A January 16, 2020 Being Patient article looked at a study weighing the potential positives and negatives of early cognitive impairment testing for older adults at the primary care level. The study did not find any harm done by early testing. According to the article, “There has also been some concern that screening every older adult who walks into primary care for cognitive impairment could cause anxiety — especially if the patient doesn’t want to know whether they have dementia, or are at a high risk of developing it… The main finding of the report was that primary care dementia screening didn’t increase anxiety or depression among the people studied.”