MUST READ

An April 30, 2019 CNN article reported on a newly-defined type of dementia, called LATE (limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy), which can be misdiagnosed Alzheimer’s disease. LATE affects the brain differently and develops more slowly than AD, although the two are often found together, compounding cognitive decline. According to the article, “…Researchers have been well aware of the “heterogeneity of dementia,” but figuring out precisely why each type can look so different has been a challenge… Experts say this heterogeneity has complicated dementia research, including Alzheimer's, because it hasn't always been clear what the root cause was -- and thus, if doctors were treating the right thing.” Also covered by BBC News. 

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

According to an April 29, 2019 The Pantagraph article, Nathan Mortimer of Illinois State University received almost $300,000 from the NIH to look at the connection between Alzheimer’s disease, specifically A-beta, and the immune system. “The question of how the immune response influences disease progression is a fairly new area in Alzheimer's research. We're hoping to add a piece to that puzzle for researchers,” said Mortimer.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

An April 27, 2019 Toronto Sun article highlighted the Scotiabank Pro-Am hockey fundraising tournament to benefit Alzheimer’s disease research. 31 participating teams will draft a former NHL player to play alongside them. The tournament has raised more than $34 million in the past 14 years.

MUST WATCH

In an April 25, 2019 Being Patient video, Founder Deborah Kan interviewed former atomic energy research scientist Gerda Saunders, who writes about living with dementia. She shares insights on diagnosis and end-of-life.

PROFILES IN COURAGE

An April 30, 2019 Reading Eagle article spotlighted John Frangakis, who ran his family’s diner business for more than 50 years. John now has Alzheimer’s disease and is unable to work, so his daughter, Anna, and son-in-law took over. According to the article, “John is not angry, as many with Alzheimer's are. He still teases those he loves, maybe more mercilessly than ever. He jokes constantly. “He just laughs about everything,” Anna says. “That has really blossomed in his personality with this disease. He's not upset about it. I've seen some others with the disease come through the restaurant and get really upset about it, to the point of violence, but not him. He's accepted it.””