MUST READS

A July 2, 2018 Kiplinger article looked at how people are breaking negative stereotypes about having dementia and changing perceptions. “Dementia” invokes images of people with end-stage conditions, but there is actually a wide range of types and stages and people can stay active and engaged. According to the article, “It doesn’t mean that living with dementia can suddenly become easier, or that there’s a simple fix to the challenges a diagnosis presents. But the goal is to flip the script and stop defining people with dementia only as sufferers who are dying from it.”

MUST WATCH

A July 6, 2018 CNBC Power Lunch broadcast segment spoke with Dr. Ronald Peterson of the Mayo clinic about the recent Biogen announcement of its positive phase-2 trial for BAN2401 to treat mild Alzheimer's disease. According to Peterson, “I think the results are early but encouraging about the possibility of an effective therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. And when we talk about therapies, we’re talking about a disease modifying therapy that actually gets at the underlying cause of the disease… If we could delay the onset, slow the progression of the disease, that would be huge for patients.”

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A June 25, 2018 Being Patient article looked at how several forms of iron are associated with the formation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain, which is a major hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Research on the connection between metals and AD dates back to the 1960’s. The body can clear away small amounts of ingested metals, but large amounts may accumulate in the brain. According to Joanna Collingwood of the University of Warwick’s School of Engineering,“Iron is an essential element in the brain, so it is critical to understand how its management is affected in Alzheimer’s disease. The advanced X-ray techniques that we used in this study have delivered a step-change in the level of information that we can obtain about iron chemistry in the amyloid plaques."

LIFESTYLE

According to a July 6, 2018 Eurek!Alert release, a Finnish study found that a variation in the melatonin receptor 1A (MTNR1A) gene is linked to the risk of Alzheimer's disease in the elderly. Disruption of sleep and the circadian rhythm is a known risk factor in developing AD. According to the release, “Lack of sleep and disruption of the circadian rhythm are common among shift workers. Tolerance to the negative effects of shift work varies between individuals and is partially linked to intrinsic genetic factors… The previous study observed that the same gene variation that predisposes to shift work fatigue is associated with lower levels of the MTNR1A gene expression in the brain.”

OPINION

A July 4, 2018 News-Press opinion piece by Dr. Frederick W. Schaerf, founder of the Neuropsychiatric Research Center of Southwest Florida, who has ALS, spoke about how his research center will carry on his legacy. Schaerf writes, “While, in my humble opinion, it will be a long and arduous battle ultimately to defeat ALS, there is an end in full sight regarding claiming victory over Alzheimer’s disease. To defeat this scourge, persistent dedication will be needed from people in our community like you, in addition to the hard work of researchers locally as well as those across the globe.”

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

On July 25, 2018, The Caregiver Coalition of San Diego will be hosting "What Every Caregiver Should Know: A Guided Tour" from 9am-1pm (PST)at the Solana Beach Presbyterian Church. This free event will include educational seminars on brain health and caregiver burnout. Register by calling Cindy Wright at 858-509-2587.