MUST READS

According to a February 28, 2018 Futurity article, a new study showed that the genetic impact of Alzheimer’s disease is much greater than previously thought. The closer a person gets to the age at which their parent exhibited the first signs of AD, the more likely they are to have amyloid plaques in their own brain. “Upon examining changes in the amyloid biomarker in the cerebrospinal fluid samples from our subjects, we noticed that this link between parental age and amyloid deposits is stronger in women than in men. The link is also stronger in carriers of the ApoE4 gene, the so-called ‘Alzheimer’s gene,' ” said researcher Sylvia Villeneuve. Also covered by Science Daily, New York Post and New Atlas.

A February 26, 2018 NBC 29 article and video looked at the link between inflammation and Alzheimer’s disease, which is being studied by researchers at the University of Virginia. Drugs traditionally used to treat inflammation don’t work in the brain because they cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. The researchers identified an “electrical switch,” or ion channel, that could be targeted to prevent brain inflammation. According to lead researcher Dr. Bimal Desai, the finding “Opens up a whole new research area to look at neuroinflammation in the context of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.” 

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A February 27, 2018 Boston Globe article (subscription only) looked at a new study from neuroscientists at MIT who are working on treating brain disorders associated with memory loss, including Alzheimer’s disease. The study found that the Npas4 gene, in the brain’s CA3 subsection of the hippocampus, is necessary to create long-term memories. The CA3 records contextual or environment-based long-term memories. A healthy pathway from the dentate gyrus, another hippocampus region, to the CA3 strengthens memory formation. According to senior study author Yingxi Lin, “The most exciting thing for me is we can have this single-cell precision to go into the brain. It brings you a step closer to understanding how the memory is actually written in the brain.”

ALZ TECH

A February 25, 2018 The Chicago Evening Post article spotlighted “Hipo,” the world's first wearable caregiver for people with Alzheimer's disease. Created by two young inventors, their company Mosaikx won the Global IoT Startup Contest in Hong Kong in 2016. The device allows family members stay connected with their loved one and monitor daily needs, set-up a personalized plan, remind and assist with daily tasks and activities, flag if tasks are missed or forgotten, and provide weekly reports.

YOUTH FOCUS

A February 26, 2018 Alabama Today article focused on University of Alabama students who launched the Music & Memory Tuscaloosa at Capstone Village, a chapter of the national Music & Memory organization. The Alzheimer’s care unit of Capstone Village received donations to train caregivers and purchase Bluetooth players, headphones, waterproof speakers, chargers and iTunes gift cards to bring personalized music into the lives of people with AD. The music assists dementia patients in recalling memories and emotions, combating anxiety, depression, sundowning, memory loss and other symptoms associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s. The students aim to help other Tuscaloosa-area retirement facilities achieve certification for music therapy programs.

DEMENTIA AND THE ARTS

A February 24, 2018 Indy Star video and article highlighted the “Still Connected: A Turning Point Program,” where Dance Kaleidoscope dancers tell the story of Alzheimer’s. These “dancetellers” chose stories, submitted by people with AD, to inspire their choreography. According to the group's education director Lynn Webster, “Music and movement has such a close connection with memory. It was just such a natural fit.”

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS 

A February 26, 2018 Maynard Wicked Local article reported that the House of Representatives passed legislation to establish an Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Council. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services will be required to conduct an assessment on existing state efforts and implement an integrated state plan. Hospitals will need to implement an operational plan for recognizing and managing individuals with dementia. “Whether a patient, caregiver, family member or loved one — Alzheimer’s or dementia has touched nearly every one of our lives. As the medical community grapples with this public health crisis, I’m thankful that the legislation passed by the House of Representative lays out a statewide strategy to address it head-on,” said Massachusetts State Rep. Kate Hogan, who voted to pass the bill.