Dementia Matters

New Research Shifts Thinking on Metabolism and Aging

There are many common beliefs about metabolism. Perhaps you’ve heard that a person’s metabolism slows around middle age, or that a woman’s metabolism is slower than a man’s. However widespread these beliefs are, recent research from the journal Science has found that these conceptions of metabolism are wrong. In a groundbreaking study, researchers have found that metabolism goes through four key phases over our lives, only beginning to slow around age 60. This, among other findings, are now changing how we think about human physiology and how we think about aging. Breaking down this new research and his perspective article on the findings, Dr. Rhoads describes our shifting understandings of metabolism and how it impacts chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s disease as we age.

Guest: Tim Rhoads, PhD, assistant scientist, Rozalyn Anderson laboratory, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Episode Topics

2:30 - How is metabolism related to diseases of aging?

4:42 - What are the four distinct phases of metabolism and why are they important?

7:44 - What are other findings that change our understanding of metabolism?

12:00 - How does the decline in metabolism later in life affect chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s disease? Are there things we could do to prolong a high metabolism?

15:22 - How does caloric restriction affect the body and metabolism?

Show Notes

Read the perspective piece written by Dr. Rhoads and Dr. Rozalyn Anderson on the journal Science’s website.

Read the original research report, “Daily energy expenditure through the human life course,” by Pontzer et al. on the journal Science’s website.

Learn more about recent metabolism research in the article, “What We Think We Know About Metabolism May Be Wrong,” written for the New York Times.

Learn more about the Rozalyn Anderson Lab and their research at their website.

Aging Behind the Wheel: How Driving Behavior Can Identify Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease

Dementia impacts a person’s ability to complete day-to-day activities like familiar tasks at work or at home. What if we could identify these changes in everyday behaviors early enough to identify preclinical Alzheimer’s disease? That’s what Dr. Sayeh Bayat, an assistant professor at the University of Calgary, looked to find out. Dr. Bayat is the lead author of a recent paper highlighting how driving behaviors such as braking, following the speed limit and the number of trips taken could predict preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Bayat joined the podcast to share findings from the paper and discuss some of the ways engineering and machine learning can help us discover more about dementia and aging.

Guest: Sayeh Bayat, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Geomatics Engineering, University of Calgary

Episode Topics

1:05 - What led you to study this intersection of engineering and aging?

3:23 - What inspired you to study the topic of driving and aging?

5:30 - Who was involved in the study, and how long were these participants monitored?

7:01 - What did you find?

7:50 - Can you explain machine learning?

11:10 - Different health and life factors can impact driving. Is that something you’re looking to control for in future studies?

14:59 - How do you account for people who are just bad drivers without any cognitive change?

15:48 - What is the direction for your research in the future?

Show Notes

Learn more about Dr. Sayeh Bayat’s study in the New York Times article, “Seeking Early Signals of Dementia in Driving and Credit Scores” and in the BBC article, “How your driving might reveal early signs of Alzheimer’s”.

Find a free PDF of Dr. Bayat’s paper, “GPS driving: a digital biomarker for preclinical Alzheimer disease,” through the National Library of Medicine.

Global Challenges in Dementia Diagnosis: A Deep Dive into ADI’s World Alzheimer’s Report 2021

Alzheimer’s Disease International’s World Alzheimer’s Report 2021 recently found that 75% of people with dementia are undiagnosed, equating to 41 million people across the globe. The report, subtitled “Journey through the diagnosis of dementia,” also found clinician stigma is still a major barrier to diagnosis, and one in three believe nothing can be done about dementia. Dr. Serge Gauthier, co-author of the report, joins the podcast to discuss these findings, recommendations for improving dementia diagnoses, and more from the report.

Episode Topics

2:00 - How did you get into this field, and why did you choose to study dementia? 

3:04 - What was the methodology behind this research? What was that process like to collect this data?

5:47 - What are some of the key findings that you took away from the report?

7:59 - What did you discover about stigma while conducting this report? Why is that important to this discussion about diagnosis and subsequent care?

9:47 - How can people encourage their healthcare systems to have better diagnoses practices in place?

12:04 - What role do PET scans and blood-based biomarkers play in this effort for more diagnoses? Should everyone get these tests done?

13:56 - How do you think new therapies like Aducanumab are going to change how we view diagnosis?

16:33 - What are some of the key recommendations for government agencies from the report?

18:33 - Most agencies in the United States do not recommend screening for cognitive impairment without symptoms. Is that a mistake, and if so, how do we change those policies?

19:31 - What role do specialists, memory centers, and community agencies play in improving diagnosis? Should we have a primary care focus or should we train more specialists and organizations to help with diagnosis?

21:59 - Do you think there needs to be a change in how we use terms like dementia and major neurocognitive disorder? Should we adopt a universal terminology surrounding cognitive impairment, and do you think dementia should be retired due to the stigma it carries?

22:57 - What are some of the easiest things we can do to help our system diagnose people with dementia?

24:42 - What gives you hope that things will get better in the diagnosis and care of people with dementia?

Show Notes

The World Alzheimer Report 2021 includes over 50 essays from leading experts from around the world and is supported by findings from 3 key global surveys, which received responses from 1,111 clinicians, 2,325 people with dementia and carers, and over 100 national Alzheimer and dementia associations. Find more information about the 2021 World Alzheimer’s Report from Alzheimer’s Disease International on their website. A PDF of the report, “Journey through the diagnosis of dementia,” is also available on their website to read.

To learn more about Dr. Serge Gauthier, read his bio on the McGill University website.

Accessibility and Community: Bringing Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resources to the Latinx Community

UsAgainstAlzheimer’s newly-released tool, BrainGuide, may seem like a simple questionnaire, but the project highlights a growing movement to make Alzheimer’s disease research and resources accessible to a broader range of communities. Released in 2021, BrainGuide is a one-of-a-kind resource that provides information about Alzheimer’s disease in English and Spanish through online and telephone questionnaires. Dr. Maria Mona Pinzon, a physician-scientist at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and a consultant on BrainGuide, joins the podcast to discuss the impacts this project has had on educating the Latinx community about Alzheimer’s disease. Discussing the barriers and risks that the Latinx community face surrounding brain health, the ways to connect with the community through research, and her experience working on BrainGuide, Dr. Pinzon highlights the importance and impacts of community-tailored research and resources. 

Guest: Maria Mona Pinzon, MD, MS, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Episode Topics

1:17 - How did you get into this field of an aging population and people living with dementia?

6:12 - Is the idea of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia discussed within the Latinx community in general?

7:38 - Latinx individuals are 1.5 times more likely to develop dementia. Is there research that can explain this higher risk?

9:53 Tell us about this tool, the Spanish-Language BrainGuide, some of the resources it offers, and why it is important to make it available to Spanish speakers.

12:47 - What’s something you learned from this experience that surprised you?

14:14 - What are the barriers Latinx people face in learning about brain health, dementia, and getting involved in research?

18:25 - What strategies do you suggest to improve the connection between researchers and the Latinx community as well as recruitment into research?

20:06 - When thinking about education and raising awareness, what topics are most important right now for the Latinx community?

21:58 - What do you do in your personal life to keep your brain healthy? 

Show Notes

Learn more about the Spanish-Language BrainGuide, its questionnaire, and other resources on their website. To fill out the questionnaire, you can find it digitally on their website (mybrainguide.org) or complete it over the phone by calling or texting 855-272-4641.

Learn more about Dr. Mora Pinzon at her bio on the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute website.

You Are What You Eat: Study of Diet and Brain Health Shows Cognitive Benefits from Cheese, Wine and Lamb

A recent study of nearly 1,800 participants from the UK Biobank found that three dietary elements — cheese, wine, and lamb — may improve long-term cognitive outcomes in aging adults. Dr. Auriel Willette, assistant professor of food science and human nutrition at Iowa State University, joins the podcast to discuss these new findings linking diet and cognitive changes. In November 2020, Willette published a study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease titled “Genetic Factors of Alzheimer’s Disease Modulate How Diet is Associated with Long-Term Cognitive Trajectories: A UK Biobank Study,” where he and his team studied the effects of particular foods on a person’s brain health over time. As well as the findings surrounding cheese, wine, and lamb, they found that limiting salt intake was good for the brain, especially for those at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Discussing the field of nutritional research, his prior work studying diet and brain health, and how these findings impact other recommended diets, Willette provides insight into how our current diets can impact our health and cognitive abilities later in life, allowing us to make better choices for the future.

Guest: Auriel Willette, PhD, associate professor of food science and human nutrition, Iowa State University.

Episode topics

1:34 - What sparked your interest in studying the effects of nutrition on the brain and on cognition?

4:41 - What prompted you to broaden your study to focus on overall diet and whole foods?

8:29 - Can you tell us about your prior research?

12:46 - Can you tell us a bit about the study and what you discovered?

19:48 - What do you think the mechanism is that allows cheese and alcohol to be beneficial for people’s brain health?

24:28 - How do you reconcile these findings, especially those surrounding cheese, with diets like the MIND diet?

28:38 - What dietary changes have you made in your own life that you might recommend for protecting your brain health?

Show Notes

Find out more about Dr. Willette by reading his bio from Iowa State University.

Learn more about Dr. Willette’s study at this article by Iowa State University.

Read the full study, “Genetic Factors of Alzheimer’s Disease Modulate How Diet is Associated with Long-Term Cognitive Trajectories: A UK Biobank Study.”

Find us Online - Dementia Matters Website | ADRC Facebook | ADRC Twitter

AARP Study Shows Stigma Surrounding Dementia among Healthcare Professionals and General Public

With the numerous efforts currently focused on educating the public about dementia, from clinical programs to research to podcasts (like this one), how much is stigma surrounding cognitive decline affecting public understanding?

On today’s podcast, Sarah Lock, Senior Vice President for Policy for AARP, discusses just that. This year, the AARP published a report on a survey focused on how the general American population and particular subgroups perceive dementia and dementia diagnoses. The survey found that the general public and health care professionals have many misperceptions about dementia, including overestimations about their likelihood to develop dementia and the shame they might feel about a diagnosis. Describing the contrasting perceptions between clinicians and the public and the impacts of stigma on dementia policy, Lock details the ways this survey will allow the AARP to build on their existing programs about brain health to better educate the public about dementia and the ways it affects a person’s life.

Guest: Sarah Lenz Lock, Senior Vice President for Policy, AARP, Executive Director of the Global Council on Brain Health

Episode Topics

1:48 - Can you share what went into making the survey and who completed them?

5:05 - What did the survey find? How do people think about their own risk?

7:14 - Can you speak about those key findings surrounding stigma and dementia?

9:43 - What do you make of the stigma's connection to the fear of not being able to drive anymore?

12:48 - What key findings did you find about the clinicians who completed the survey?

15:32 - One finding from the survey showed that healthcare providers overestimated the shame and embarrassment that a person would experience with a diagnosis. What were other perceptions that clinicians overestimated in the survey?

17:20 - From a policy perspective, does the United States need to change its recommendations surrounding dementia screenings?

20:01 - Could you share the true benefits of early diagnoses, based on the survey and what you see within the AARP?

21:21 - Did the survey find any differences in the perceptions among different racial groups?

23:28 - How do you define brain health? What is the AARP doing to spread information about brain health?

Show Notes

Learn more about Sarah Lock and her work at her bio on the AARP website.

For a summary of the key findings of the AARP’s report, read this article by the AARP. To access the full report and its findings, find it here on the AARP website.

Find us Online - Dementia Matters Website | ADRC Facebook | ADRC Twitter

Caregivers, Care Partners and People with Dementia: Brainstorming New Interventions for Dementia Care

When talking about dementia caregiving, researchers are often working toward new treatments and strategies for supporting people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. But how can we push the topic further and learn how we can better support dementia caregivers themselves? Dr. Eric Larson joins the podcast to discuss possible interventions to support patients with dementia and their caregivers and care partners. Dr. Larson chaired a National Academy of Medicine committee focused on researching dementia caregiving interventions. As part of their report titled “Meeting the Challenge of Caring for Persons Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners and Caregivers: A Way Forward,” the committee found that two models, the Collaborative Care Model and REACH (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiving Health), had the most evidence of benefits for supporting people with dementia and their care partners and caregivers. Discussing this new report, the recent approval of aducanumab, and the field of geriatrics as a whole, Dr. Larson shines a light on the nuances of dementia research and dementia caregiving.

Guest: Eric Larson, MD, MPH, Senior Investigator, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute

Questions

1:07 - What sparked your interest in becoming a geriatrician and Alzheimer’s disease/dementia researcher?

2:35 - What would you say to young medical students looking for a specialty, and even considering geriatrics?

3:33 - Why do you think the field fails to attract younger doctors?

5:13 - What is the role of the National Academy of Medicine, and why did it conduct and release this report on caregiving?

7:29 - Can you offer us a brief summary of the findings or the key things that you think our audience should know about?

10:48 - What are the current limitations of the existing research on dementia care interventions for patients and caregivers, and how can we overcome those limitations?

12:38 - What is the difference between a care partner and a caregiver as you note in the report?

14:03 - What are some community, policy, or societal interventions that really should be explored?

15:46 - Does this report mean that we stop programs with low-strength of benefits, and if not, how do we continue to evaluate these programs and expand on them?

17:12 - Given the FDA approval of aducanumab, do you worry that more attention and resources will be pulled away from care work and care partner/caregiving that’s needed in research and clinical care toward this medication?

19:42 - What would you say to someone about to become an Alzheimer’s disease caregiver or care partner?

Show Notes

Read Dr. Eric Larson’s bio on the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute’s website.

Find a free download of the National Academies’ report, “Meeting the Challenge of Caring for Persons Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners and Caregivers: A Way Forward,” here.

To learn more about the National Academies, find them on their website. For information about their research, publications, and events focused on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, visit this page from their website.

Find other resources related to this report by the National Academy of Medicine here:

• Report Highlights
• Press Release
• Recommendations

Find us Online - Dementia Matters Website | ADRC Facebook | ADRC Twitter

Tackling Stigma and Alzheimer’s Disease within the AAPI Community

Vince Tien and Dr. Dung Trinh join the podcast to discuss the many ways Alzheimer’s disease affects the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community. Vince Tien and Dr. Trinh both work as part of 360 Clinic, a multi-specialty medical group focused on telehealth services. With their experience in healthcare and telehealth services amidst the pandemic, Tien and Dr. Trinh describe the barriers and stigma that discourage the AAPI community from seeking help for dementia and the ways that we can dismantle those barriers. 

Guests: Vince Tien, co-founder, CEO, 360 Clinic, and Dung Trinh, MD, chief medical officer, 360 Clinic

 

Episode Topics:

1:13 Vince Tien, what is your background in healthcare? How did you get involved in Alzheimer's disease and dementia care?

3:43 Dr. Trinh, what is your experience in caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?

6:06 What are the health-related needs of AAPI communities? And, when it comes to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, what are these communities’ needs?

7:44 Is there a certain perception of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognition within the AAPI community? 

9:22 How do you find common ground between accessibility issues of technology and the benefits of telehealth?

13:07 What role does stigma play in the Asian American or Vietnamese communities specifically when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease? How does it affect caregiving and family members?

14:18 How do we start destigmatizing Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive change within the Asian American community?

16:06 How does healthcare address the cultural, economical, linguistic barriers that Asian Americans experience regarding public health messages and care?

17:18 How can healthcare systems and organizations provide care for underresourced and underrepresented families who are suffering from dementia-related illnesses?

19:58 What would be the one thing you’d want the Asian American community to know about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care?

 

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Show Notes:

To learn more about 360 Clinic, find them at their website, Instagram, and Twitter.

Learn more about Dr. Dung Trinh at his LinkedIn and his Facebook Page.

Learn more about Vince Tien at his LinkedIn.

Creative Care: The Power of Imagination in Dementia Caregiving

What would happen if caregiving strategies were inspired by wonder rather than memory? That’s what Dr. Anne Basting, founder and president of the nonprofit TimeSlips, asked when she began her research into how the arts could be integrated into dementia caregiving. Basting joins the podcast to discuss her caregiving approach rooted in creative engagement and imagination. From storytelling to beautiful questions to performance, Basting describes a new way of caregiving that helps caregivers and families meet patients and loved ones where they’re at to have meaningful connections and spark joy in the later years of life.

Guest: Anne Basting, PhD, professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, founder and president of TimeSlips, author of Creative Care

Episode Topics

1:31 - What inspired you to bring the arts and humanities to dementia care?

4:51 - Why did you write Creative Care, and what do you want readers to leave with?

7:49 - What are “beautiful questions” and can you offer a few examples?

14:32 - What is in the Creative Care Imagination Kit and why is each component important to the process?

15:49 - You’ve staged theater productions in care facilities as part of this process. How do performers in these plays respond to being a part of theater and how does the audience respond to the performances?

18:43 - How can people get involved in this organization and what do you recommend to people who would like something like this in a local care facility?

19:48 - What would you say to someone about to embark on the caregiving journey with someone with dementia?

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Show Notes

Read Anne Basting’s biography on her website.

Learn more about Anne Basting’s book, Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care, and her Creative Care Imagination Kit on her website here.

Learn about Anne Basting’s nonprofit organization, TimeSlips, at its website for information on services, resources, and ways to get involved. Also find TimeSlips on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Better Now than Never: Quit Smoking to Reduce Your Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease

Researchers have produced many studies on how smoking affects parts of the body, such as the lungs or heart, but what about the brain? In today’s podcast, Adrienne Johnson, PhD, discusses her research on cigarette smoking and risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. As part of a 2021 study, she found a person’s risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease can be affected by how recently they’ve smoked. Diving into her research, the effects of smoking on different communities, and resources to support current smokers as they quit, Dr. Johnson details the impact of smoking on the brain and her hopes to develop new interventions to motivate smokers to quit for good.

Guest: Adrienne Johnson, PhD, assistant scientist at the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention

Episode Topics

1:17 What sparked your interest in studying the effects of cigarette smoking and, particularly, how it affects cognitive decline?

3:47 What are the effects of smoking on Alzheimer’s disease risk and/or general cognitive decline?

5:28 Why do you think there’s a difference in risk levels for Alzheimer’s disease and then for dementia?

6:27 Are there other things you can share about what you have found with your preliminary studies on smoking as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease?

8:38 You haven’t found a quantity relationship between the amount a person smokes and their risk for Alzheimer’s disesase, but rather a relationship based on smoking recency. Could you describe that further?

11:12 You’ve also done work on how there’s more disadvantaged communities that might be suffering from tobacco use compared to others. Can you speak on that?

13:01 How can caregivers and/or family motivate or support current smokers so that they can quit?

14:25 Is there a difference in a population that already has cognitive impairment? Do you have different strategies that we might use to support those individuals?

18:16 What are you looking to study in the future?

19:21 Can you share some resources where listeners can get help to stop smoking or where they can find resources for a loved one?

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Show Notes

Read Dr. Adrienne Johnson’s biography on the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI) website.

To learn more about the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI) and the work they do, find them on their website, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

Find resources on how to quit smoking here:

• Learn more information about smoking, vaping, and how to quit at https://ctri.wisc.edu
• 1-800-QUIT-NOW is a national smoking cessation quitline. Though it’s resources vary from state to state, in Wisconsin they can provide callers with free evidence-based evidence-based smoking cessation medications and a free coaching session to help you quit.
• Smokefree.gov is a website with a variety of resources, including texting programs, quit plans, mobile apps, and information on how to quit for specialty populations.
• Talk to primary care providers for prescribed medication and counseling for quitting smoking