MUST READS

A January 4, 2019 Forbes article spotlighted Professor Bruno Jedynak from Portland State University, who was awarded $500,000 to continue work with algorithms and statistical models, creating a picture of Alzheimer's disease progression over time. The world's largest longitudinal study of AD family history, under the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP) NIH grant, is following 1,580 study participants whose parents were diagnosed with AD. The purpose is to study middle-aged people to try and understand the precursors to Alzheimer's disease, in order to treat the first signs of potential future cognitive impairment.

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A January 6, 2019 Las Vegas Review-Journal article spotlighted Dr. Aaron Ritter, Clinical Trial Director at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Ritter is injecting patient’s brains with a radioactive liquid, the GE180 tracer, to pinpoint whether inflammation may be a factor in developing Alzheimer’s disease. His project is part of the center’s NIH-funded COBRE study, to understand the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. According to Ritter, “We never have really been able to measure inflammation in the brain. This is a new way to kind of look at these degenerative issues.”

BRAIN HEALTH

A January 4, 2019 Mind Body Green food blog post by neuroscientist Nicole Avena, PhD shared her own personal daily breakfast brain tonic smoothie recipe. It provides nutritional benefits that may help prevent Alzheimer's in the future by incorporating folate from oranges, nitrate, to lower blood pressure, prebiotics, which aid beneficial gut bacteria to grow, and anti-inflammatory ginger. 

INDUSTRY UPDATE

A January 4, 2019 Alzheimer Gadfly blog post looked back at the state of Alzheimer’s disease in 2018. 2018 was a year of failures in the drug pipeline, as no new agents were approved by the FDA that improved cognition in dementia. However, caregiving received higher recognition and some big names joined the AD fight, including Bill Gates and the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative.

SEX MATTERS

(ICYMI) A December 6, 2018 Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) post celebrated the career of women’s health advocate Marsha B. Henderson, who retired from the FDA at the end of 2018. According to the post, “Henderson has been responsible for coordinating the FDA’s efforts and communications to protect and advance the health of women. She has also advocated for the participation of women in clinical trials and for analysis of research data by sex, gender, and subpopulation." Henderson is a member of the AD-PCPRN Communications and Outreach Advisory Council, an UsAgainstAlzheimer's initiative.