USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A May 9, 2019 The Wooded Path blog post, by neurologist and author Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN, highlighted a video of Dr. Richard Morgan, a 90 year-old author, FaithUnitedAgainstAlzheimer’s Founder (a UsA2 Coalition) and retired Presbyterian minister. Morgan read a poem by Potts, “What the World Needs Now,” at a dementia conference for chaplains and other clergy last week in Greensburg, PA.

MUST READS

A May 9, 2019 Forbes article featured the work of Dr. R. Scott Turner from the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, who touts exercise and healthy eating as keys to preventing Alzheimer’s disease. According to the article, “…He said exercise is really the only thing that has “experimental support” to work among the numerous and primarily failed attempts to prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease.” “We will eventually turn Alzheimer's into a chronic manageable disorder… Or we may be able to prevent Alzheimer's in the future… There is a consensus that exercise and other lifestyle changes may delay or prevent dementia due to Alzheimer’s,” said Turner.

MUST WATCH

In a May 8, 2019 The Doctor’s Farmacy podcast, “The Science of Preventing (and Reversing) Dementia,” Dr. Mark Hyman, MD spoke with neurologist, author and Alzheimer’s expert Dr. Marwan Sabbagh about emerging research in the field of dementia. They explore potentials for treatment and prevention.

CAREGIVING CORNER

A Third Age post tackled the subject of how loved ones and caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s disease can deal with rummaging. The person with AD may search for and hide items around the house. According to the post, “The NIA suggests that you can create a special place where the person with Alzheimer’s can rummage freely or sort things. This could be a chest of drawers, a bag of objects, or a basket of clothing to fold or unfold. Give him or her a personal box, chest, or cupboard to store special objects. You may have to remind the person where to find his or her personal storage place.”

CLINICAL TRIAL SPOTLIGHT

A May 8, 2019 Being Patient article highlighted a new Phase II clinical trial, PICASSO AD, recruiting participants with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease to test BPN14770, a drug designed to improve overall memory, memory formation and cognition (thinking, reasoning, remembering, learning). According to the article, “The 3-month PICASSO AD trial will measure the change in patients’ memory from before the treatment to 3 months after the end of treatment using the standard clinical memory test Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neurological Status-Delayed Memory Index (RBANS-DMI). Researchers will also assess changes in other memory, cognition, and daily living activities tests…” Learn more about the trial here.

ICYMI

An April 18, 2019 Clinical Leader article looked at how patient recruitment is being shaped by social media and a patient-centered focus. The article stressed the complexity of clinical trial recruitment and the individualized strategies required to tackle the problem. According to the article, “If you have a study going on at 60 sites, you might have to go to all 60 sites, find out what recruitment strategy works for each, and create a personalized plan… When you are thinking about what needs to be done for the trial, throw everything into the discussion, including the kitchen sink. You will find there is no perfect situation for any study.”