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by Erin Alessandroni

Research advances across a broad array of topics were revealed at the 2018 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Chicago. Several Penn Memory Center researchers had the opportunity to both learn from and share the latest updates with international leaders in dementia science.

It was announced that a workgroup of multidisciplinary experts, including PMC Co-Director Jason Karlawish, MD, was convened by the Alzheimer’s Association to create best practice guidelines for dementia in primary care. Dr. Karlawish highlighted the importance of “knowledgeable informants” in the creation of these guidelines in a comment to Philly.com.

Another widely discussed announcement was that an investigational drug by Biogen and Eisai was shown to reduce amyloid plaques in the brains of dementia patients and slow progression of the disease. PMC Co-Director David Wolk, MD told WHYY, “It’s a very promising result,” but cautioned that more research is needed before the drug can be prescribed. Similarly, Dr. Karlawish told The Wall Street Journal that “he would like to see the companies conduct a larger, longer study to further assess the drug’s risks and benefits.”

by Puja Upadhyay
Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics 

Jason Karlawish, MD is Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center; Allison Hoffman, JD is a Professor of Law at Penn.

In the not-too-distant future, individuals may be able to learn their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease through biomarkers – measures of disease activity – detected up to 20 years before symptoms present. This information would allow individuals (and their loved ones) to prepare for future cognitive and functional decline, but it also has implications for the purchase of private long-term care insurance. In the Journal of Law, Medicine, & Ethics, Jalayne Arias, Jason Karlawish, and colleagues analyze whether, under current state laws, insurers could use biomarkers to deny coverage; in a companion commentary, Allison Hoffman places these findings in a larger context of a failing private market for long-term care insurance, and uses the study to make a case for social insurance for long-term care (LTC).

Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are among the most intensive users of long-term services and supports (LTSS) that help with “activities of daily living,” such as eating or bathing. These services are not considered “medical care” as defined in federal legislation regulating health plans; instead, they are regulated by the states. Medicare and private health insurance do not cover most LTSS, except in limited ways after hospitalization. LTSS are financed primarily by Medicaid (62 percent), individual out of pocket spending (22 percent), and private LTC insurance (12 percent).

By Erin Alessandroni

Penn Memory Center researchers and their collaborators will have prominent spots at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), an annual research conference hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association.

International investigators, clinicians, and researchers will come together July 22 to 26 in Chicago to share the latest study results, theories, and discoveries to help bring the world closer to breakthroughs in dementia science.

By Kaleah McIlwain

For someone living with dementia, performing everyday tasks like managing money, cooking, or driving presents a challenge. This challenge is lessened with the help of caregivers.

Caregivers provide intensive support to persons with dementia which can be a 24/7 responsibility that they take-on in addition to their own obligations. Caregivers can be spouses, children, parents, or friends who are helping someone they care about, often times with little thought to how it impacts their own emotional and physical health.

Caregivers experience symptoms of depression and anxiety and have feelings of anger, sadness, and frustration. Becoming a caregiver is a great responsibility and it is important to remember that caregivers need to take care of themselves in order to be able to take care of others.

This is what prompted the creation of the National Research Summit on Care, Services, and Supports for Persons with Dementia and their Caregivers last year. The goal of the summit was to discuss research related to dementia patients and their caregivers to identify what they know and do not know in order to accelerate the development, evaluation, and implementation of comprehensive care, services, and supports for people with dementia, their families, and caregivers.

By Kaleah McIlwain 

Marianne Watson, RN, who has served the Penn Memory Center as senior research nurse since its inception 25 years ago, is retiring in July.

Felicia Greenfield, LCSW, executive director of PMC, made the announcement at the 2018 Research Partner Thank You Luncheon. News of Ms. Watson’s pending departure was met with a mix of saddened cries — “no!” and “don’t go!” — cheers of congratulations, and nostalgia.

Ms. Watson announces her retirement at the PMC Thank You Luncheon. (Terrence Casey / Penn Memory Center)