An Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
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Conventional wisdom tells us that exercise can help strengthen all of our muscles — including our brains. Study after study has reinforced this wisdom.
So Dr. Kaycee Sink was understandably surprised when her recent study found no connection between physical activity and cognitive health.
Dr. Julie Schneider presents her study results August 25, 2015.
Vascular health could play a major role in diagnosing and preventing dementia, according to a study presented recently at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Julie Schneider, Professor of Pathology and Neurological Sciences and Associate Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University in Chicago, declared that the scientific community needs to reevaluate its approach when it comes to studying neurodegenerative diseases.
“We have to think more broadly about dementia and aging,” she said during her August 25 presentation. “We need to start thinking about other targets.”
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A bill calling for a $2 billion boost to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget was approved by a Senate panel last month, setting the stage for the organization’s largest raise in 12 years.
President Barack Obama had asked Congress to add $1 billion, and the House of Representatives has already voted to add an additional $100 million on top of that.
Additionally, the Senate bill is calling for a dramatic increase in Alzheimer’s research funding, via a 25 percent increase for the National Institute on Aging, according to a report in Science Magazine.
The final bill, approved by both the House and Senate, will likely include a budget increase between $1.1 billion and $2 billion.
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Any amount of exercise is good for both body and mind, but harder workouts don’t necessarily lead to a sharper mind.
A recent study out of the University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Center found that its senior research participants scored better on both physical endurance and memory tests after 26 weeks of regular brisk walking. But whether participants spent 75 minutes or 225 minutes per week on the treadmill, scores on the memory tests were largely the same. Participants who changed nothing about their lifestyle showed no improvement.
Don’t use that to excuse an easy workout routine, researchers warn, as general physical fitness has many health benefits.
Communities and organizations across America are banding together with a unified message for families dealing with dementia: “You are not alone.” That’s the central theme behind Dementia Friendly America, an initiative announced last month at the White House Conference on Aging.
Six pilot communities are taking the lead by reaching out to the underserved and informing the rest of the public about the roles they play.
“Alzheimer’s disease and dementia can be devastating to American families, but we are not powerless to support those living with the disease, their caregivers and loved ones,” said Senator Bill Frist, national spokesperson for Dementia Friendly America. “Starting in these communities, we’re building a nationwide effort to educate Americans about dementia, equip business owners and first responders to recognize and assist those with memory loss, and empower people with Alzheimer’s and dementia to engage independently and safely in community life for as long as possible.”
Of all life’s day-to-day chores, managing finances is among the most cognitively demanding. Jason Karlawish, MD, co-director of the Penn Memory Center and professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics and Health Policy and Dan G. Blazer, MD, Ph.D – discuss how declines in financial capacity are among the first signs that an older adult is suffering from cognitive impairment, which means that not only doctors but the banking and financial services industries are also diagnosing it.
Alzheimer’s disease may cause different changes in the brain of African Americans than in white Americans of European descent, according to a study published in the July 15, 2015, online issue of the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The research, conducted by Lisa L. Barnes at the Rush University Medical Center, suggests that African Americans are less likely than Caucasians to have Alzheimer’s disease alone and more likely to have other pathologies associated with dementia.
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Movie screening of “Still Alice” and discussion in partnership with the Delaware Valley Alzheimer’s Association at the The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. The Penn Memory Center will have a resource table to display information about how people can participate in Alzheimer’s disease research.
When: Thursday, July 16th 2015
Where: Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, 2100 Arch Street
Time: 6:30pm
For more information about GenPhilly, click here
A study in the April 2015 issue of Alzheimer’s & Dementia led by researchers from University City College London and the U.S. – including David Wolk, MD, co-director of the Penn Memory Center – found that one in four persons under 60 did not report memory loss as a first sign of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers analyzed data from the NIH supported NACC study – a national database of participants attending Alzheimer’s disease Center’s across the United States – to show these notable differences between how Alzheimer’s presents in older adults compared to younger adults.
In explaining the importance of the study, Dr. Wolk said “these findings that symptoms other than memory loss may be how the disease presents in younger adult are not only vital for helping to diagnose Alzheimer’s, they also suggest differences in how Alzheimer’s develops and progresses, differences that could have an impact on developing treatments.”
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Patty Jackson of 105.3WDAS recently interviewed Reisa Sperling, MD of Harvard Medical School and Stephanie Monroe, the director of African Americans Against Alzheimer’s Disease about the A4 Study. Sperling and Monroe addressed the need for older African Americans to get involved in the clinical trial. Listen to the interview below.
The A4 Study is actively recruiting participants at the Penn Memory Center. For more information, contact Study Coordinator Jessica Nuñez at 215-662-4379 or jessica.nunez@uphs.upenn.edu