MUST READS

An April 23, 2018 The San Diego Union-Tribune article spotlighted Glenner Town Square, the first-of-its-kind in the U.S. miniature memory village adult day care center for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients in Chula Vista. Staff of the simulated indoor city, designed to look like San Diego circa 1953 to 1961, will use “reminiscence therapy” to spark and engage participants’ long-term memories. According to creator Scott Tarde, “I’m always blown away at how the environment seems to trigger this cascading of memories. It’s not in every single case and it might not happen immediately, but something somewhere in Town Square will usually trigger something.” 

An April 22, 2018 MD Magazine article talked with Gregory Day, MD of the Washington University School of Medicine, Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, who emphasized early diagnosis as the key to developing new drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. According to the article, “The reasons why AD research fails to reach marketable progress is both varied and self-perpetuating: its aggressive pathology is complimented by limited diagnoses, reducing the pool of early-diagnosed patients for clinical trials. In diagnosing these issues, Day mapped out a way for researchers to bring about a clear resolution.”

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

According to an April 20, 2018 Newsweek article, a new study showed that skin cancer may reduce a patient’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by as much as 92 percent. Knowledge of the link is not new, and there appear to be neurologic and biologic factors involved. A 2017 study suggested that cancer treatment may be the reason for the reduced risk.

CLINICAL TRIAL SPOTLIGHT

An April 20, 2018 Austin 360 article reported that the University of Texas School of Nursing is recruiting for two studies about Alzheimer’s disease and sleep. The first is to learn if medication used for restless leg syndrome could be beneficial for sundowning. The second study will look at the possible link between mild cognitive impairment and sleep apnea to see if a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine could improve memory. 

CAREGIVING CORNER

An Rx4Good survey for caregivers, “The Caregiver Factor,” is to understand the needs of people who voluntarily care for people with chronic and/or debilitating illnesses as they navigate medical and care decisions. It is an IRB study and participant information will be anonymized. 

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

An April 17, 2018 Los Angeles Times article reported that paid family and medical leave insurance program legislation in Connecticut will advance to the House. The program would provide up to 12 weeks of wages over a 12-month period.