Dementia Matters

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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The Powerful Benefits of Music on Memory Loss

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

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Emergency Care Tips for People with Dementia

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

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Safely Disclosing Amyloid Results with Alzheimer’s Disease Research Participants

Dr. Lindsay Clark’s new study will evaluate the psychological consequences of disclosing amyloid test results to cognitively unimpaired adults. Dr. Clark joins the podcast to define amyloid accumulation and discuss how her study will examine the process of revealing amyloid results to research participants in Alzheimer’s disease research studies. Guest: Lindsay Clark, PhD, assistant professor, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Episode Topics:

• What is amyloid accumulation and its relationship to Alzheimer’s disease? 1:13
• How are you measuring amyloid in living people? 3:14
• Are newer methods like PET scans reliable? 5:56
• Do patients learn the results of these scans? 6:20
• Do research participants ever learn their results? 7:30
• Who is the target population for studying amyloid scans? 8:44
• Why does disclosing the results take so many careful considerations? 9:35
• What do you think are the components of a good disclosure? 11:48
• Are you disclosing specific numbers of the results? 14:16
• Why does your study focus on amyloid PET scan results? 16:31
• Do you believe the key concepts of disclosure can work with other biomarker studies? 18:33

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Poetry and Memory: A Poem by Dr. Fabu Carter

In this special holiday bonus episode, we are joined by poet laureate, writer, and senior outreach specialist, Dr. Fabu Carter, to discuss the impact of poetry on memory loss and a reading of her poem “For Our Beloved Elders with Memory Loss." Guest: Fabu Carter, PhD, MA, Senior Outreach Specialist, University of Wisconsin of Medicine and Public Health

Episode Topics:

• What is the importance of poetry on Alzheimer’s Disease? 1:20
• Reading of "For Our Beloved Elders with Memory Loss" 4:51

Update on Blood Tests for Predicting Alzheimer’s Disease

Recent developments have introduced a blood-based test that could predict Alzheimer’s disease, with more of these tests currently in development. Dr. Sterling Johnson joins the podcast to discuss the significance and accuracy of these blood tests, as well as the impact it will have on Alzheimer’s disease research and care. Guest: Sterling Johnson, PhD, professor of medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Episode Topics:

• What do biomarkers like brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid tell us about Alzheimer’s disease? 1:18
• What is the significance of a blood-based biomarker test? 6:08
• What does the blood test tell us about brain health? 8:14
• How accurate are the tests? 9:02
• How are proteins like amyloid or tau found in the bloodstream? 10:28
• What kind of precautionary steps should be taken before these tests can become readily available? 12:23
• When do you think these tests will become available? 15:30
• What do you think is the timeline for the tau protein blood tests? 16:26

Vitamin Deficiency and Its Impact on Brain Health

A study from the University of Wisconsin found 40% of geriatric memory patients were deficient in at least one vitamin linked to brain health. Vitamins tested in this study included B1, B6, B12, and D, all of which play an important role in brain health. Dr. Robert Przybelski joins the podcast to discuss his study, the influence of vitamin deficiency on brain health, and the potential consequences of vitamin deficiency when treating a patient for a memory condition. Guest: Robert Przybelski, MD, associate professor, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Episode Topics:

• Why is it important to look for vitamin deficiencies during a memory evaluation? 1:19

• What were your research findings? 2:03

• What do you focus on during a memory evaluation? 5:13

• Is there a difference between normal vitamin levels and optimal levels? 6:40

• What supplements do you take? 7:42

• What diet do you think promotes brain health? 8:06

• Why does your research look at general patients rather than participants? 8:41

Benefits of an Early Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis

For individuals concerned with memory loss, the first few steps for screening and diagnosis can be the most intimidating. Dr. Cynthia Carlsson discusses recent progress in Alzheimer’s disease research, health disparities some groups face with the disease, and advice for individuals and caregivers who have concerns about memory loss. Guest: Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS, professor, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute 

Episode Topics

• What is the current state of Alzheimer's disease research? 1:41
• Is there more funding toward Alzheimer's disease research and care? 2:59
• How has awareness of Alzheimer’s disease impacted diagnosis? 4:12
• What are the health disparities we see in Alzheimer’s disease? 7:46
• What are the benefits for early screening for Alzheimer’s disease? 11:07
• How does an early diagnosis affect family members or caregivers?  13:36
• Where should individuals concerned with memory loss look for resources? 15:06
• Are there ramifications in research for early diagnosis? 16:08
• What is your advice for individuals concerned with memory loss? 16:50