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Weekly InSight: Spinal Taps and Alzheimer’s Disease
Performing a lumbar puncture (also known as an LP or spinal tap) may help physicians identify sooner if a person has Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia.
In a recent U.S. News & World Report article, PMC Co-Director Jason Karlawish, MD, outlined three reasons why there’s a potential benefit to diagnosing a disease early.
“One is so people know what’s up ahead in their own lives so they can make plans. Two, to explain the certain symptoms that you’re currently having and why you’re suffering,” Dr. Karlawish told U.S. News & World Report. “And three, to be able to get in treatment, whether that is pharmacologic or nonpharmacologic treatment, to try to improve your quality of life and ease your suffering.”
An LP is a diagnostic tool used to extract a small amount of cerbospinal fluid (CSF) from a person’s lower back. This fluid surrounds both the spinal cord and brain.
The CSF is then analyzed for proteins (amyloid and tau) associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Here’s a drawing (provided by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine) showing exactly where the thin, hollow needle gets inserted.
The widely-used tap helps individuals with cognitive impairment and other symptoms to understand the cause of their problem and what to expect in the future, explained Dr. Karlawish.
Terraine Smith is a five-year veteran of the ABC study and choose to have an LP performed. It went well for her, but she understands why others may be hesistant, Smith explained in a recent PMC article. However, serious complications of the procedure are rare.
You (or a loved one) may be eligible for the ABC study if you meet all of the criteria outlined in this paragraph. You’re an older adult with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. You have a reliable study partner who can provide information to our research staff about your functioning. You are willing to have an MRI and either a PET scan or spinal fluid sample.
For more information, contact Clinical Research Coordinator Matthew Ferrara at 215-615-3159 or mferra@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
Job Opportunities
The Penn Memory Center is seeking a Clinical Research Coordinator B to join our multi-disciplinary team of health professionals. For more information about the full-time position and to apply, click here.
Now Enrolling: ‘Time Out’ Program
Time Out, an award-winning mentorship and respite care program, is recruiting students and families. Private respite care often costs more than $20 an hour, but Time Out care providers will be available for $8.50 an hour for up to 10 hours per week. For more information about the program and services provided, click here.
Families who would like to register or learn more should contact Alison Lynn, MSW, LCSW, at alison.lynn@uphs.upenn.edu or 215-360-0257.
A presentation called “Alive Inside: Using neuroimaging to detect covert consciousness in the brain-injured patient,” will be presented by Andrew Peterson, PhD, an Assistant Professor and Greenwall Faculty Scholar in the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy at George Mason University. The presentation, which is supported by the Penn Project on Precision Medicine for the Brain (P3MB), will be held on Thursday, February 28, at 3:00 p.m. in Ralston House, Room 241, 3615 Chestnut St. Event details are here.
ARTZ Philly has two upcoming events specifically for care partners, called Café for Care Partners: Occupational Therapy. At both events Jefferson occupational therapy doctoral students will discuss how occupational therapy-based interventions can enhance quality of life in general and make daily living less of a hurdle. The first session is Tuesday, March 5, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 19 South 10th St. Register here for the Tuesday event. The second session is Saturday, March 9, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., location TBD. Register here for the Saturday event.
Memory in Motion is a free dance class tailored to meet the challenges of people living with dementia and their caregivers. The class incorporates simple, adaptive movements set to musical favorites from the ’40s to present day in an open and accepting environment. The class is held every Monday between March 11 and April 22 from 11:00-11:45 at BalletX, 1923 Washington Ave. To RSVP, contact Felicia Greenfield at felicia.greenfield@uphs.upenn.edu or 215-662-4523.
Dr. Nancy Hodgson, PhD, RN, FAAN, of the School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, will be talking about her new book, Better Living with Dementia: Implications for Individuals, Families, Communities, and Societies, on Thursday, March 14, at 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Penn’s Biomedical Library. Hodgson and her co-author, Drexel’s Dr. Laura Gitlin, investigate the struggles of families living with dementia in their new book. Register here. Refreshments will be served.
The next Memory Café will be held on Friday, March 29, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Christ Church Neighborhood House in Old City. There will be a special tasting event with members of Penn Appétit, the University of Pennsylvania’s student-run magazine covering all things food. Memory Café is exclusively for people with memory problems, including Alzheimer’s disease, and their partners/families. The program is free. Please RSVP to Alison Lynn at 215-360-0257 or alison.lynn@uphs.upenn.edu. All 2019 dates are posted here.
Our “Empowering Caregivers” spring series kicked off in early February. The next sessions will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 14, April 18, May 16, and June 20 at 241 Ralston House. Caregivers will have access to area experts who will present on a variety of intensive topics from in-home activities to end of life care. Each talk is free and capped at 30 guests. More details about the series are here. To RSVP, contact Felicia Greenfield at felicia.greenfield@uphs.upenn.edu or 215-662-4523 and note which workshop(s) you’d like to attend.
Creative Expression Through Music, a collaboration between PMC and the Curtis Institute of Music, is a new, free program for PMC patients experiencing memory change or those with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage dementia. It’s intended to provide participants with a greater understanding of music, fun new tools for interacting through sound, and creative musical experience that flex their imaginations. Beginners are welcome. Session One will engage participants in collaborative, creative musical experiences and will assess their impact on participants’ mood and well-being. Session Two will focus on creating new music and building the skills and activities of Session One. Registration for Session One is now closed, but Session Two is still enrolling.
Session Two will meet from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. on March 19, 26, April 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30. All sessions are held at The Curtis Institute of Music in Lenfest Hall, Room LH314. If you’d like to register or have questions, contact Matthew Volpe at matthew.volpe@uphs.upenn.edu.
Join Bridges to Wealth for a Financial Empowerment Series. Learn how to repair credit, reduce debt, and build wealth! The series consists of two classes on March 19 and 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Both classes will be held at Lucien Blackwell Library, 125 S 52nd St., Philadelphia. The classes are free and open to the public. Lunch will be served.