MUST READS

A November 19, 2018 The New York Times “11 Things We’d Really Like to Know” article asked, “Will we ever cure Alzheimer’s?” The article acknowledged that “Alzheimer’s research is littered with failed clinical trials,” as the industry shifts toward early intervention and prevention. According to the article, “At the same time, the scientific establishment has become increasingly open to new theories about the underpinnings of Alzheimer’s. Some researchers are trying to restore lost synapses; others are focusing on microglia, scavenger cells involved in the brain’s immune system.”

MUST LISTEN

A November 20, 2018 NPR Wisconsin Public Radio “The Morning Show” segment welcomed guest Jennifer McAlister to discuss how to support family members with Alzheimer’s disease during the holiday season. 

MUST WATCH

A November 19, 2018 WTTW Health News broadcast segment spotlighted the long-range, comprehensive Memory and Aging Project study at Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago, which has been tracking participants’ memory and cognition, mobility and physical fitness for the last 26 years. More than 3,500 people have participated since its inception, some now deceased, and enrollment is open to those over 65 who agree to will their brain to research.

ALZHEIMER'S IN THE MEDIA

A November 13, 2018 Health News Review article looked at the trend of using headline hype to draw readers into stories on cures and breakthroughs for Alzheimer’s disease, and “how cheerleading local journalism can mislead people.” Local stories can easily be picked-up and go viral. ‘Fine print’ is often buried deep in stories which say that a treatment could be years away, or is only in an infancy testing phase. 

DEMENTIA AND THE ARTS

A November 17, 2018 The Wooded Path blog post by Neurologist Daniel C. Potts, MD reminisced on a Bringing Art to Life art therapy session for people with dementia and their student partners. According to Potts, “Two of our participants were unable to be with us, so their students created collages for them, about them. During this activity, the students were completely centered upon, and immersed in the personhood of their partners living with dementia… This caused me to ponder the role of perception and relationships in our understanding of personhood – in a very real way, our absent friends were with us yesterday, and will be with us every day, every moment that we are fully present to their personhood.” 

LIFESTYLE

A November 16, 2018 Discover Magazine article highlighted a new approach to Alzheimer’s disease: the use of individualized therapeutic plans, via personalized medicine and computer algorithms, to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease. According to James Galvin of the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health at Florida Atlantic University, “This is where big data can come in. You can look at patterns, and when you have a cluster of patterns, you can tailor therapies based on an individual’s profile. Outside of age and family history, these are risk factors that we could actually do something about and design interventions on a personalized basis.”

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

A November 18, 2018 Surrey Now-Leader article looked at the launch of a new toll-free hotline in British Columbia, Canada for people living with dementia, their care partners, and anyone concerned about their memory or interested in more information about dementia. According to Avalon Tournier of the Alzheimer Society of BC.’s South Fraser Resource Centre, “Most callers are caregivers who need to know who to call or where to turn; we guide them towards services that will help them build the skills and confidence to live with dementia.”