USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

An April 14, 2016 NJ.com article highlighted UsAgainstAlzheimer’s partner the Brain Health Registry and its efforts to “reduce the cost of patient recruitment for clinical trials by building a large online pool of potential candidates.” Sign up for the Brain Health Registry here.

MUST READS 

An April 15, 2016 Reuters article reported on Japan’s efforts to destigmatize dementia by highlighting the importance of community care. According to the article, “Encouraging people with dementia to speak out is part of Japan's effort to ease the negative image of a disorder that affects nearly 5 million citizens and is forecast to affect 7 million, or one in five Japanese age 65 or over, by 2025. Japan is a global frontrunner in confronting dementia, the cost of which has been put at 1 percent of world GDP.”

An April 14, 2016 NewsWorks article and radio segment reported on the A4 clinical trial and explored the question, “If you are at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s, would you want to know?” According to the article, “A4study researchers are testing the drug Solanezumab from Eli Lilly. "Sola" clears away amyloid, but what's unclear is whether the drug can slow down Alzheimer's or prevent people from getting the disease. To enroll participants, scientists first need to figure out which people have plaque build-up and the associated higher-than-average risk for dementia. An imaging test, called a PET scan, gives doctors a peek at the brain—and reveals whether or not someone has high levels of amyloid.”

An April 14, 2016 ScienceDaily.com article reported that a memory suppressor gene could hold the key to new Alzheimer's disease treatments. According to the article, “While research has identified hundreds of genes required for normal memory formation, genes that suppress memory are of special interest because they offer insights into how the brain prioritizes and manages all of the information, including memories, that it takes in every day. These genes also provide clues for how scientists might develop new treatments for cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.”

An April 14, 2016 Associated Press article reported that “Wording for an initiative that would issue as much as $200 million in bonds for Montana-based biomedical research has been approved.” According to the article, “The initiative would call for the state to issue up to $200 million in bonds over the next 10 years. The funds would go to research into brain diseases and disorders and mental illnesses including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, brain cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, addictive disorders and schizophrenia.”