USA2 SPOTLIGHT

Join our next Alzheimer's Talks on Thursday, January 25, at 3pm (EST) for a discussion with Dr. Richard Isaacson (Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic, New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center) on his groundbreaking study seeking the earliest signs of Alzheimer's in women—brain changes that occur long before symptoms do. Could very early changes in the brain before, during and after menopause offer clues that help women and men alike?

MUST READS

A January 21, 2018 The Sun article spotlighted the story of Daniel Bradbury, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at age 30. His own father died at just 36 and was later revealed to have early-onset AD. Bradbury’s young twins each have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the rare mutated PSEN1 gene, as he did from his father. Speaking about the future, "The kids won’t remember a lot of it but we will have photos and videos for them to keep. I want to be as much of a dad as I can for as long as I can. I want to cherish those memories too.”

LIFESTYLE

A January 22, 2018 UCLA Newsroom article looked at the effects of curcumin (anti-inflammatory and antioxidant), found in turmeric, on memory and mood in people with mild, age-related memory loss. A study from UCLA looked at the impact on people without dementia, as well as those with Alzheimer’s disease. According to Dr. Gary Small of UCLA’s Longevity Center, “Exactly how curcumin exerts its effects is not certain, but it may be due to its ability to reduce brain inflammation, which has been linked to both Alzheimer’s disease and major depression.” 

A January 22, 2018 Time article focused on a non-drug study by Finnish researchers utilizing FINGER (Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability) to see if diet, exercise, brain training and social activity will slow the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease for people at genetic risk. The participants did not yet show signs of dementia or cognitive impairment. According to the article, “The results also support the growing trend in the field to study both drug- and non-drug strategies as early as possible in the disease to prevent, rather than treat, the symptoms once they appear.”

POLICY UPDATE

According to a January 23, 2018 National Alliance for Caregiving policy alert, the President signed the RAISE Family Caregivers Act into law. The Department of Health and Human Services will develop, maintain and update a National Family Caregiving Strategy, as well as convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advise on ways to recognize and support family caregivers. According to the alert, “The RAISE Family Caregivers Act is a significant step in bolstering family caregivers on the national level, and its passage is a promising victory as we head into 2018.” Learn more here.

RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

[Subscription only] A January 22, 2018 Medscape article spotlighted a new study, a comprehensive analysis of the association of the top 20 AD risk variants with brain amyloidosis, published this month in JAMA Neurology. The goal is to develop new Alzheimer’s disease drug targets. According to lead study co-author Liana Apostolova, MD, “As we gain a better understanding of the genetics of Alzheimer's disease, and more studies like this are conducted, down the road we will be able to predict which patients will develop the disease and which won’t.”

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

The 2019 McKnight Memory and Cognitive Disorders Award—from the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience—awards up to four awards annually, each providing $100,000 per year for three years. Due Date: Letters of intent are due on March 26, 2018. Full proposals will be due September 10, 2018. Funding begins on February 1, 2019.