MUST READS

According to a January 24, 2018 Being Patient article, there is some truth to the old “use it or lose it” adage. Researchers in London studied how the brain reacts to reduced stimulation during retirement (from a cognitively demanding job) by measuring verbal memory, word recall, reasoning and verbal fluency. They found that retirement was associated with a 38 percent dip in verbal memory. According to the study authors, “Accelerated deterioration or impairment in one or more cognitive functions beyond the ‘normal’ age-related decline could be predictive of the onset of dementia.”

MUST WATCH

(ICYMI) A December 8, 2017 WUSA9 broadcast segment acknowledged the 18 years of tireless work of Alzheimer’s advocate Kathy Siggins to create an Alzheimer’s semipostal stamp. The stamp costs 60 cents and helps fund AD research. Siggins’ late husband Gene had AD and is the inspiration for her advocacy.

RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A January 25, 2018 Neurology Today article spotlighted the work of an international group of researchers who were able to correct a mutation associated with familial Alzheimer's disease using CRISPR gene editing. They observed, in vitro, the normalization of electrophysiological properties and production of amyloid-beta. According to senior study author Samuel E. Gandy, MD, PhD of Mount Sinai, “It is conceivable, although I'm not sure it's likely, that autologously generated BFCNs implanted into the hippocampus may slow decline or help sustain memory function longer. I don't at all think we're talking about a cure, but we might be able to extend independence.”

CAREGIVING CORNER

A January 19, 2018 Next Avenue article took a deeper dive into data which finds that women’s participation in the workforce stalled around the year 2000 as a result of child care. New York Times writer Eduardo Porter integrates data from the American Time Use Survey to include time away from work women dedicate to caring for older relatives, part of the looming “elder-care crisis.” According to Porter, “Unlike the boomers now taking care of their parents, their Millennial children will not have as many siblings to help care for their parents. Higher divorce rates imply that many aging boomers will have no spouse to care for them, putting additional demands on their children.”

LIFESTYLE

A January 26, 2018 The Atlantic article focused on the link between consuming a sugary, Western-style diet and Alzheimer’s disease. A longitudinal study which followed people for more than 10 years finds the higher the blood sugar, the faster the cognitive decline. According to Rebecca Gottesman of Johns Hopkins, “It’s hard to be sure at this stage, what an ‘ideal’ diet would look like. There’s a suggestion that a Mediterranean diet, for example, may be good for brain health.”

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

The free forCare app from Novartis Pharmaceuticals is a comprehensive tool to help people providing care for their loved ones. The app equips caregivers with information, tools and resources including an easy way to track medication and doctor appointments, access to key health information and coordinating care with others.