MUST READS

An August 22, 2017 USA Today article focused on a non-invasive, high-definition eye scan of the retina, which shows a buildup of toxic proteins indicative of Alzheimer's disease. According to Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui of Cedars-Sinai, "One of the major advantages of analyzing the retina is the repeatability, which allows us to monitor patients and potentially the progression of their disease."

According to an August 22, 2017 USC News article, a team from the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy will begin comparing the effectiveness of two approaches to nursing home dementia care: the first, a multidisciplinary model where providers each approach their client’s needs from a discipline-specific lens, and the second, a more coordinated interdisciplinary team model where there is this shared language and plan of care. The five-year project will span 80 nursing homes across 10 geographic regions in the US.

An August 22, 2017 Slate article (originally published by Undark) looked at an online quiz to “determine your risk” for Alzheimer’s disease from the Center for Brain Health, part of the NorthShore University HealthSystem. The quiz, advertised in both postcard and email form, urged people to delay or prevent aging brain diseases through “genetic testing, advanced diagnostics, and lifestyle factors.” According to the article author, Steven Lubet of the Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law (who received the solicitation and took the quiz multiple times), “It purports to be making individualized assessments through meaningful screening, but it ends up pushing consultations for nearly everyone.”

MUST LISTEN

An August 22, 2017 Catching Health podcast with Diane Atwood talked with Teepa Snow, a dementia and Alzheimer's care specialist who travels around the world sharing her caregiving wisdom with professionals and families. 

ALZHEIMER'S & THE ARTS

An August 23, 2017 Blouin Artinfo International article and photo slideshow spotlighted Rachel Von’s “Dementia, Death, and Dealing with Loss” creative photography exhibition at the Artlink Contemporary Gallery. Von’s work expresses her personal experience of losing her grandfather to Alzheimer’s. The exhibition is on view through September 15, 2017 at Artlink Contemporary: 300 E Main St, Fort Wayne, IN.