Dementia Matters

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Dementia Matters is a podcast about Alzheimer‘s disease and other causes of dementia. Creator and host Dr. Nathaniel Chin interviews leading scientists and caregiving experts to bring listeners the latest in Alzheimer’s disease news, research and caregiver resources. Brought to you by the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, find show notes and more resources at adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters.

Episodes

Thursday May 13, 2021

Study Finds Air Pollution a Risk Factor for Alzheimer’s Disease

Thursday May 13, 2021

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that among older adults with cognitive impairment, the greater the air pollution in their neighborhood, the higher the likelihood of the presence of amyloid plaques in their brain. Lead researcher Leonardo Iaccarino, PhD, details his work examining air pollution and brain health outcomes and discusses possible ways individuals and society can lower the impact of air pollution on Alzheimer’s disease risk.

Guest: Leonardo Iaccarino, PhD, University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center

Episode Topics

What sparked your interest in neuroscience and Alzheimer's disease research? 1:06
Why is your research so pivotal? 2:21
What was the IDEAS Study? 4:12
What kinds of air pollution are you referring to? 6:09
What can generate PM2.5? 7:45
Are cars or factories potential sources? 8:50
How does air pollution increase risk for Alzheimer's disease? 9:15
Is there a further increased risk after long exposure? 11:00
Why is it important that there was no link to ground-level ozone? 12:04
Did you look into the APOE4 genetic risk from air pollution? 14:32
What should people do with this information? 16:19
Is there a way to find your own neighborhood value of PM2.5? 18:44
Do you see any policy or system changes in the future from your findings? 19:55
Do you believe there might be other environmental factors that increase risk? 21:03
What do you do in your life to decrease risk for neurodegeneration? 21:57

Find Dementia Matters online

Monday May 03, 2021

Managing Inappropriate Sexual Behavior in Alzheimer’s Disease

Monday May 03, 2021

Inappropriate sexual behavior is a common yet rarely discussed symptom in individuals with dementia. Author Elizabeth Marcus writes about her personal experience with her father’s behavioral changes in her new book, “Don’t Say a Word!: A Daughter’s Two Cents.” Elizabeth shares what she learned caring for her father, as well as advice for caregivers responding to the symptoms. Neurologist Dr. Martin Samuels offers background on changes in the brain that can cause inappropriate sexual behavior and other personality shifts that are common in people with dementia. Guest: Elizabeth Marcus, author; Martin Allen Samuels, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital

Episode Topics:

What is your book about? 1:09
How did you react to your father’s request? 3:08
What did you learn about the experience? 4:04
What did you learn about the relationship between sex and dementia? 5:29
What is the key message of your book? 6:50
How common are these situations? 8:33
Are there physical changes in the brain that explain these symptoms? 9:10
Why do some individuals with memory loss develop these symptoms, while others don’t? 12:44
How can family members respond to the situation once it becomes uncomfortable? 14:51
What advice do you have for family member’s going through this experience? 17:27
What types of education or resources do you provide caregivers? 19:30
How do you respond to caregivers looking into medication for the symptoms? 21:55
What is your experience with the stigma around sex and individuals with memory loss? 23:44
Any suggestions for overcoming the discomfort and respectfully addressing these symptoms? 26:33

Visit Elizabeth Marcus’ author website to learn about her new book, “Don’t Say a Word! A Daughter’s Two Cents.”

Find Dementia Matters online

Monday Apr 19, 2021

Being Patient Translates Alzheimer’s Disease Science for the General Public

Monday Apr 19, 2021

Being Patient is an online news source dedicated to providing research news, caregiver information and resources related to Alzheimer's disease. Being Patient founder Deborah Kan discusses how her personal experiences led her to develop the website, as well as how online resources and communities can help empower individuals affected by memory loss. Guest: Deborah Kan, journalist, founder of beingpatient.com

Episode Topics:

What inspired you to leave a career in journalism and launch Being Patient? 0:58
How do you decide on the topics you cover? 4:18
How does social media help build a community through connection? 9:14
Have you found a certain communication platform that has better reach? 11:25
What have you learned from caregivers through your work? 13:49
Can you offer recommendations for finding reliable online sources for health information? 18:58
Why is it important for the scientific community to have a separate organization that discusses the research? 23:34
What topics in Alzheimer's disease research have been the most impactful? 27:35

Find Dementia Matters online

Wednesday Mar 31, 2021

How Society Can Improve Care for People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

Wednesday Mar 31, 2021

Dr. Jason Karlawish discusses society’s role in addressing care for individuals with memory loss, as well as current stigmas around Alzheimer’s disease, Wealthcare, and his cautious optimism for the future of Alzheimer’s disease research and care. This is the final episode in our four-part series with Dr. Karlawish on his new book, "The Problem of Alzheimer's: How Science, Culture, and Politics Turned a Rare Disease Into a Crisis and What We Can Do About It.” Guest: Jason Karlawish, MD, co-director, Penn Memory Center

Episode Topics:

How do you live a good life when you’re slowly losing your ability to live life? 0:56
How do home and work fit in your life after a mild cognitive impairment diagnosis? 2:21
What are your recommendations on home looseness and time slips? 4:34
How can we improve care facilities? 10:04
What is Wealthcare? 11:19
Why haven’t caregivers been given greater support in our system? 13:32
What do you mean by time, task and truth in caregiving? 15:13
What are steps we can take to improve the care for individuals with mild cognitive impairments? 17:34
What do you mean by stigma in Alzheimer's disease? 19:37
What worries you about the effects of this stigma? 22:00
With a new presidential administration, what should be the top priorities as a country for preparing for Alzheimer’s and improving the lives of individuals with memory loss? 24:21

Learn more about Jason Karlawish's book

Find Dementia Matters online

Wednesday Mar 24, 2021

The Healthcare System’s Role in Alzheimer’s Disease

Wednesday Mar 24, 2021

Dr. Jason Karlawish joins the podcast for the third installment in our series on his new book, "The Problem of Alzheimer's: How Science, Culture, and Politics Turned a Rare Disease Into a Crisis and What We Can Do About It". In this episode, Dr. Karlawish discusses the healthcare system’s role in Alzheimer’s disease and what it needs to do better to care for individuals with dementia and help them live well. Guest: Jason Karlawish, MD, co-director, Penn Memory Center

Episode Topics:

What did you learn about the healthcare system in your work with Beverly and Darren Johnson? 1:33
What do we need in healthcare to better care for individuals with cognitive impairment? 3:25
Do we need more memory care specialists in the field, or can primary care physicians do this work? 5:32
How do we encourage more individuals into enter the geriatric care medical field? 7:38
How do we increase the number of memory centers and how should they function within our current healthcare system? 9:22
Why is it important to discuss delirium? 11:14
What does a multidisciplinary team offer in dementia care? 13:03
What services and supports do you envision for the healthcare system? 14:57
The importance of being respectful in communication and interaction with older adults. 18:06
What did you learn from working with Dr. Jeffrey Kaye from the Oregon Center for Aging and Technology (ORCATECH)? 20:34
What role does our government have in addressing this humanitarian crisis? 23:13

Learn more about Jason Karlawish's book

Find Dementia Matters online

Wednesday Mar 17, 2021

How Culture, Society and Politics Shaped Alzheimer’s Disease Research

Wednesday Mar 17, 2021

Dr. Jason Karlawish returns to the podcast to continue our discussion on his new book, The Problem of Alzheimer's: How Science, Culture, and Politics Turned a Rare Disease Into a Crisis and What We Can Do About It. In this episode, Dr. Karlawish discusses pivotal cultural and political moments that influenced Alzheimer’s disease research, as well as the possibilities of drug treatments in the future. Guest: Jason Karlawish, MD, co-director, Penn Memory Center

Episode Topics:

Who is the unwitting revolutionary? 1:11
What happened to the early German scientists researching Alzheimer’s disease? 6:03
What essay was released in 1976 and why was it pivotal to Alzheimer’s research? 7:25
How did the changes in psychiatry, geriatric care and gender roles affect Alzheimer’s disease research? 10:42
What was the internal struggle over a name? 14:51
What were key moments in U.S. political history that influenced Alzheimer’s disease? 18:19
Where do you think the U.S. went wrong in approaching Alzheimer’s disease? 21:05
How is Alzheimer’s disease a humanitarian crisis? 22:43
What is your opinion on the drug approach for Alzheimer’s disease? 23:53
Do you have hope for a pill treatment in the future? 24:48

Learn more about Jason Karlawish's book

Find Dementia Matters online

Thursday Mar 11, 2021

The Past, Present and Future of Alzheimer’s Disease Research

Thursday Mar 11, 2021

Physician and author Dr. Jason Karlawish joins the podcast for the first installment of a four-part series centered around his new book, The Problem of Alzheimer's: How Science, Culture, and Politics Turned a Rare Disease Into a Crisis and What We Can Do About It. In the book, Karlawish blends history and science to detail the most important breakthroughs in diagnosing and treating Alzheimer’s disease. He also offers an argument for how we can live with dementia and proposes reforms we can make as a society that would give caregivers and patients better quality of life. In this episode, Dr. Chin and Dr. Karlawish discuss Alzheimer’s disease in a historical context and the disease's changing meaning. Guest: Jason Karlawish, MD, co-director, Penn Memory Center

Episode Topics:

Why did you choose to focus on the history of Alzheimer’s disease? 1:37
Why is it so important to use correct terminology in the clinic? 2:40
What do you say to patients when you diagnose Alzheimer’s disease? 3:54
How do you help people understand the meaning of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis? 5:39
Are there any specific experiences you’ve had when diagnosing patients? 7:25
What was the first breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research? 9:21
What did you discover about the history of Mild Cognitive Impairment? 11:27
Why are Bill Klunk and Chester Mathis so important to Alzheimer’s research? 17:50
Would Klunk & Mathis’ methods be allowed in present-day research? 21:41
What happened at the 2013 MEDCAC meeting and why is it significant? 22:32

Learn more about Jason Karlawish's book

Find Dementia Matters online

Wednesday Feb 24, 2021

Research Suggests Financial Problems an Early Sign of Alzheimer’s Disease

Wednesday Feb 24, 2021

In a recent study, health economist Lauren Nicholas, PhD, found older adults who go on to be diagnosed with dementia are more likely to miss payments on bills as early as six years before a diagnosis. Dr. Nicholas joins the podcast to discuss her research findings, how financial symptoms could be used as early predictors of dementia, signs that may indicate financial trouble due to dementia, and resources for managing your own or a loved one’s finances early. Guest: Lauren Nicholas, PhD, associate professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Episode Topics:

How was the study designed? 1:00
Who did you look at for in the study? 5:09
What are your findings? 6:12
Do you think the financial impact is different based on the amount of family members? 9:24
What types of resources are available? 11:01
What do you hope this research will lead to? 13:32
What are clues to watch for financial trouble due to cognitive decline? 15:47
How do you see financial information being useful for understanding dementia in the future? 17:33

Find Dementia Matters online

Thursday Feb 11, 2021

The Powerful Benefits of Music on Memory Loss

Thursday Feb 11, 2021

Growing research has shown that music can have a profound impact on individuals with memory loss. Right to Music is an organization dedicated to promoting use of personal music by families and professionals caring for people with dementia and other cognitive challenges. Founder Dan Cohen joins the podcast to discuss how music can affect memory loss and tips for starting music therapy. Guest: Dan Cohen, founder, Right to Music

Episode Topics:

What inspired you to introduce music to people with memory loss? 1:10
What brought you to music? 2:36
What has research found around music therapy? 4:56
What do you believe it is about music that is unique? 11:31
Does genre of music matter? 14:16
How can music help bring people together? 17:00
How do you recommend a person start? 18:52
Do you have any additional tips? 20:20
Which songs help you on your playlist? 21:51

Find Dementia Matters online

Wednesday Jan 27, 2021

Emergency Care Tips for People with Dementia

Wednesday Jan 27, 2021

Visiting the emergency department can be a challenging experience for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers. Dr. Manish Shah joins the podcast to discuss the difficulties people with dementia face in the emergency department and offers tips for making the most out of a visit. Guest: Manish Shah, MD, MPH, professor, BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Episode Topics:

How many older adults visit emergency departments annually? 1:00
Why are adults with dementia twice as likely to seek emergency care compared to older adults who don't have dementia? 2:19
What are some of the difficulties that people with dementia may experience when they're in the emergency department? 5:10
Is there training for emergency department physicians to modify how they approach people with dementia? 7:22
Do you have any recommendations to offer that would improve the visit in the emergency department for people with dementia? 9:02
What is your team of researchers studying? 13:42
What kind of resources do these types of centers bring to your research or research like this? 15:45
What do you hope to accomplish with the funding that you've now received? 17:42
Why is it important to study and create these resources in emergency departments across the country? 19:24
Is there a day or a time that would be better for a person to go in? 20:29

Find Dementia Matters online