Dementia Matters

What Now? Next Steps After Receiving an MCI Diagnosis

What exactly does a mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis mean, and what should you do after receiving one? Hearing this diagnosis from a doctor can bring up a lot of emotions and questions for individuals and family members. Jennifer McAlister joins Dementia Matters to offer advice for next steps after receiving an MCI diagnosis and share strategies and resources that have been successful for individuals she’s worked with over the course of her career.

Guest: Jennifer McAlister, outreach and partnerships manager, Outreach, Recruitment & Engagement Core, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

 

Show Notes

Find Jen’s “Next Steps After Diagnosis” flowchart, mentioned at 41:22, on our website and as a PDF.

View and download a PDF of the decision-making tool, mentioned at 28:57, online.

Learn more about the Wisconsin ADRC’s Healthy Living with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) series on our website.

Watch the Healthy Living with MCI series on YouTube.

Learn more about MCI by listening to our past podcast episode, “Our Evolving Understanding of Mild Cognitive Impairment” on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms.

 

Connect with us

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

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Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

LATE, Explained

While there are many kinds of dementia, like Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, there’s one that researchers have only recently identified. LATE, or Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy, is a newly-characterized type of dementia associated with abnormal clumps of a protein called TDP-43. So, what exactly do we know about LATE? Dr. David Wolk joins the podcast to share what key features of LATE are, how it compares to Alzheimer’s disease and impacts treatment, and what next steps are needed to better understand this neurodegenerative disease.

Guest: David Wolk, MD, director, Penn Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, co-director, Penn Memory Center, co-director, Penn Institute on Aging, chief, Division of Cognitive Neurology, professor of neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Show Notes

Learn more about LATE on the National Institute on Aging’s website and on Penn Memory Center’s website.

Read Dr. Wolk's article, "Clinical criteria for limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy," on the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia's website.

Learn more about Dr. Wolk in his profile on the Penn Memory Center website.

Connect with us

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

‘Tis the Season: Navigating the Holidays as a Dementia Caregiver

The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone, especially those with dementia and their care partners. In preparation for this season, Dr. Alexis Eastman joins Dementia Matters for our last episode of 2024. Drs. Chin and Eastman discuss strategies for managing the potential stress of holiday traveling and gatherings, important safety considerations and more.

Guest: Alexis Eastman, MD, geriatrician, Senior Medical Director of Ambulatory Medical Specialties, UW Health, associate clinical professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Show Notes

Listen to our past episode with Dr. Eastman, “Holiday Tips for Dementia Caregivers,” on our website.

Find more resources and tips for the holidays in “Resources for navigating the holidays with Alzheimer’s” on our website.

Want to support Dementia Matters? Make an end-of-year gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s.

Connect with us

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Could AI Identify Alzheimer’s Risk Factors from Electronic Health Records?

With the recent surge in artificial intelligence and machine learning technology, one of the most exciting fields it could revolutionize is health care and, more specifically, the field of cognitive care and research. Dr. Marina Sirota and Alice Tang join the podcast to share their research on how AI could be used to predict one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease based on their electronic health records. They also discuss what needs to be done to improve these algorithms and other ways this technology could be used in Alzheimer's disease research.

Guests: Marina Sirota, PhD, associate professor, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), principal investigator, Sirota Lab, and Alice Tang, MD/PhD student, University of California San Francisco, postdoctoral fellow, Sirota Lab

Show Notes

Read Alice Tang and Dr. Sirota’s study, “Leveraging electronic health records and knowledge networks for Alzheimer’s disease prediction and sex-specific biological insights,” online through the journal Nature..

Learn more about Sirota Lab on their website.

Learn more about Dr. Sirota on her UCSF profile.

Connect with us

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

The Future of Fluid Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

The field of biomarkers is constantly evolving, leading to developments in diagnosing and treating different kinds of dementia, but what exactly are biomarkers and how has our understanding of these measures changed over time?  Dr. Henrik Zetterberg joins Dementia Matters to talk about the latest updates in research on fluid biomarkers. Dr. Zetterberg goes in depth on the role and properties of different biomarkers and how new measures and tools, like blood tests, are impacting diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Guest: Henrik Zetterberg, MD, PhD, professor of neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, University College London, visiting professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Biomarker Core co-leader, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

Show Notes

Learn more about Dr. Zetterberg on his University College London and University of Gothenburg profiles.

Learn more about blood tests in our episode with Dr. Thomas Karikari, “Update on Blood Tests for Alzheimer’s Disease,” on our website.

Learn more about the different biomarker procedures, such as lumbar punctures, through the Biomarker Videos on our website.

Connect with us

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Support for the Supporters: Resources for Alzheimer’s Caregivers

If you're one of the 11 million Americans providing unpaid care to a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, you know that caregiving is both incredibly rewarding and challenging. What makes caring for someone with dementia so emotionally and physically demanding, and what resources and strategies are available to help? In this episode, Bonnie Nuttkinson joins us to discuss the unique needs of dementia caregivers, tips for navigating each stage of the disease and ways to find support along the caregiving journey.

Guest: Bonnie Nuttkinson, MS, research program coordinator, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

Show Notes

Read the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2024 Facts and Figures report that Dr. Chin mentioned at 7:29

Get 10 tips and more resources for caregivers from the Caregiver Action Network that Dr. Chin mentioned at the 12-minute mark.

Visit “Resources for People with Dementia and Care Partners” on the Wisconsin ADRC website.

Find caregiving resources on the National Institute on Aging’s (NIA) Alzheimer’s Caregiving website.

Download or order The Caregiver’s Handbook from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) for free.

Alzheimers.gov has information and resources for caregivers managed by the NIA at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Find local elder care resources with the Elder Care Locator that Bonnie mentioned at 23:30. 

Learn more about Bonnie from her profile on the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine website.

Read “UW–Madison Alzheimer’s program staff featured in Badger Talks series during National Family Caregivers Month” on the Wisconsin ADRC website.

Connect with us

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Smartphone Screenings: Assessing Memory and Cognition using a Mobile App

What if you could test your cognition from the comfort of your own home using a smartphone? Drs. David Berron and Lindsay Clark have spent years researching cognitive neuroscience, culminating in a 2024 published study investigating the effectiveness of a smartphone app as a tool for detecting cognitive impairment outside of a clinic or research setting. Drs. Berron and Clark join Dementia Matters to discuss how the app and tests were developed, the benefits and drawbacks of this approach  and the implications of remote testing in the healthcare field.

Guests: David Berron, PhD, Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience research group leader, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), and Lindsay Clark, PhD, licensed neuropsychologist, clinical core co-lead, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), assistant professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Show Notes

Read Drs. Berron and Clark’s study, “A remote digital memory composite to detect cognitive impairment in memory clinic samples in unsupervised settings using mobile devices,” online through the journal npj Digital Medicine.

Learn more about Dr. Berron and his research on his website.

Learn more about Dr. Clark on her profile on the Wisconsin ADRC’s website.

Connect with us

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Catch Some Zzz’s: The Cognitive Benefits of Quality Sleep

If you get the recommended eight hours of sleep per night, you spend a third of your life asleep. Why dedicate so much time to sleeping, and how can one get the most out of those eight hours? In this episode, Dr. Allison Reiss joins us for an insightful conversation about how sleep helps the brain, what the brain does while we are asleep, tips for improving one’s sleep hygiene and much more. 

Guest: Allison Reiss, MD, internal medicine physician, head, Inflammation Laboratory, New York University (NYU) Langone Hospital-Long Island, associate professor of medicine, NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, member, Medical, Scientific & Memory Screening Advisory Board, Alzheimer’s Foundation of America

Show Notes

For more information about sleep, listen to our episode with Dr. Steven Barczi, “The Importance of Sleep for a Healthy Life,” mentioned by Dr. Chin at 1:40.

Learn more about Dr. Reiss and her publications from her profile on the NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine website.

Learn more about the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s Medical, Scientific & Memory Screening Advisory Board, which includes Drs. Chin and Reiss, by visiting their website.

Learn more about the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) on their website.
View 9 sleep tips from the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC)

Watch a recording of “Sleeping Your Way to Better Brain Health” presented by Dr. Steven Barczi.

Connect with us

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Taking a Closer Look at Cognitive Decline and Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease

Dr. Reisa Sperling returns for another episode of Dementia Matters. After covering her research focused on preclinical Alzheimer’s disease in part one, Dr. Sperling dives deeper into the different factors that can impact cognitive decline and early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and how clinical trials are shaping the field’s understanding of detecting, treating and preventing the disease.

Guest: Reisa Sperling, MD, director, Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment (CART), co-principal investigator, Harvard Aging Brain Study, principal investigator, Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC), co-leader, A4 Study, co-leader, AHEAD 3-45 Study, professor of neurology, Harvard Medical School

 

Show Notes

Listen to our first episode with Dr. Sperling, “Defining and Addressing Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease,” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and on our website.

Read more about the Harvard Aging Brains Study on their website.

Read more about the AHEAD Study on their website.

Watch “Voices from the AHEAD Alzheimer’s Disease Trial,” featuring Dr. Cynthia Carlsson and a research participant, on YouTube. 

Learn more about the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (A4) study here.

Learn more about Dr. Sperling in her profile on the Massachusetts General Hospital website.

 

Connect with us

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.

Defining and Addressing Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease

What if there was a way to detect Alzheimer’s disease before clinical signs and symptoms even appeared? Dr. Reisa Sperling joins Dementia Matters for a two-part series covering her research on detecting and treating Alzheimer’s disease at the earliest possible stage, known as preclinical Alzheimer’s. In this episode, Dr. Sperling goes in-depth on amyloid and tau proteins and the implications on early detection and treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s disease.

Guest: Reisa Sperling, MD, director, Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment (CART), co-principal investigator, Harvard Aging Brain Study, principal investigator, Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC), co-leader, A4 Study, co-leader, AHEAD 3-45 Study, professor of neurology, Harvard Medical School

Show Notes

Read more about the Harvard Aging Brains Study on their website.

Read more about the AHEAD Study on their website.

Watch “Voices from the AHEAD Alzheimer’s Disease Trial,” featuring Dr. Cynthia Carlsson and a research participant, on YouTube. 

Learn more about the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (A4) study here.

Learn more about Dr. Sperling in her profile on the Massachusetts General Hospital website.

Connect with us

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.