USA2 SPOTLIGHT

In a March 20, 2018 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s blog post, Co-Founder and Chairman George Vradenburg wrote about the Alzheimer’s Scientific Roundtable at the University of Tokyo in Japan, hosted by ResearchersAgainstAlzheimer’s last week. The goal of the meeting was to encourage the Japanese government to make dementia a central theme of its 2019 G20 leadership. According to Vradenburg, “…What's less well known still is the epic worldwide scale of this disease, which is on track to afflict 132 million people in a little over three decades. That, by the way, is more than Japan's current population.”

Sign-up for the next Alzheimer's Talks on Thursday, March 29 at 1pm (EST)for a discussion with UsAgainstAlzheimer's Board Member Meryl Comer, Alzheimer's researcher Reisa Sperling, MD, Geri Taylor, Jim Taylor, and founder of Roobrik Nate O’Keefe, to learn more about how to find clinical trials or studies that might be right for you. 

MUST READS

According to a March 23, 2018 CISION PRWeb release, the National Alliance for Caregiving applauds the increased funding in support of family caregivers signed into law last week in the FY 2018 Omnibus Federal Spending Package. The National Family Caregiver Support Program was increased by $30 million, for a total of $180.6 million (19.9% increase). According to Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), “We are in the midst of a caregiving crisis in our nation as our population rapidly ages. Too many families are struggling to balance their caregiving responsibilities while working to make ends meet. Today, Congress took action to help provide the men and women who take care of a loved one with the support and resources they need. But there is much more that needs to be done.”

A March 23, 2018 AdWeek article featured a Bryan Cranston (of "Breaking Bad") PSA video raising awareness and money to battle Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia through Alzheimer’s Research UK. According to the article, “The point? To dispel the popular misconception that dementia is a natural part of aging and therefore can’t be cured. Instead, Cranston draws parallels to cancer and AIDS, where research has resulted in robust treatment strategies.”

A March 22, 2018 The New England Journal of Medicine audio interview of and article by Dr. Gayatri Devi of Park Avenue Neurology focused on working health professionals who have Alzheimer’s disease. Data is unavailable, but extrapolation estimates that 4,600 actively licensed U.S. physicians 70 years-or-older have Alzheimer’s, and 6,460 have any type of dementia. According to Devi, “…Widespread stereotyping holds severe cases to be representative of the spectrum. Such misrepresentation leads to fear, shame, and diagnosis avoidance. Many people with memory loss delay evaluations, particularly early in the illness, when intervention would be more effective.”

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is hosting the "What Would You Do: A Sensory Experience" workshop at this year’s Annual Aging in America Conference of the American Society on Aging (ASA), today at 2:30pm (PDT)in San Francisco. The workshop engages participants in a virtual reality experience to replicate what it may be like to live with Alzheimer’s disease. According to Molly Fogel, LCSW of ASA, “With the inclusion of this virtual reality platform at the workshop, our intention is to provide just a snapshot of what those living with dementia may encounter and for participants to briefly experience what it’s like to step inside their shoes—including the visual and spatial disconnect individuals may experience—as well as other sensory impairments.” Click here for more information.