Dementia Matters

Mental Health and Memory: The Connections between Chronic Mental Illness and Dementia

Like cognition, mental health is a key component of the brain — and overall — health. In what ways can mental health and chronic mental illness impact a person’s cognition and risk for dementia? Dr. Art Walaszek joins the podcast to discuss the relationships between dementia and chronic mental illnesses, including major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in older adults.

Guest: Art Walaszek, MD, geriatric psychiatrist, professor, vice chair for education and faculty development, Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Show Notes

Are you a clinician who’s interested in receiving continuing education (CE) credit for listening to this episode? Find credit designation information, disclosures, and evaluation information on our website and on the UW-Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) website. The accreditation for this course expires 9/18/2024. After this date, you will no longer be able to access the course or claim credit.

If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health or are experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.

Learn more about Dr. Walaszek on the UW Department of Psychiatry’s website.

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Highlights from the 2023 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference

The 2023 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Amsterdam brought together the world's leading scientists, clinical researchers, early career investigators, caregiving researchers and more to discuss the latest findings and advancements in dementia science. Dr. Percy Griffin joins the podcast to share key highlights from the conference. He discusses the use of CRISPR technology in Alzheimer's research, the significance of defining Alzheimer's by its biology rather than its symptoms and how the field is moving toward a precision medicine approach. 

Guest: Percy Griffin, PhD, director of scientific engagement, Alzheimer’s Association

Show Notes

Learn more about the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s Fall Community Conversation on our website, and watch the livestream on our YouTube page.

AAIC is the world’s largest forum dedicated to advancing dementia research. Find more highlights from the conference, including on-demand content that is available to watch through September 20, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. CT, on the AAIC website.

Find news highlights on CRISPR technology, county-level prevalence data on Alzheimer's, the ACHIEVE study and more mentioned by Dr. Griffin on the AAIC website.

Listen to our AAIC 2022 highlights episode with Dr. Griffin, mentioned at 1:15, on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you listen.

Learn more about Dr. Griffin in his bio on the Alzheimer’s Association’s website.

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Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

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A Fair Fight Against Alzheimer’s: The Need for Equity in Dementia Research and Care

How can we ensure that all communities are represented in Alzheimer’s and related dementias research and have access to the latest treatments and interventions? Dr. Carl Hill, the chief diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer for the Alzheimer's Association, joins the podcast to delve into the significance of representation, diversity, equity, equality and inclusion within Alzheimer's disease research. He discusses the challenges of underrepresentation in clinical trials, the importance of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and the social determinants of health that influence Alzheimer's risk.

Guest: Carl V. Hill, PhD, MPH, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Alzheimer's Association

Show Notes

Learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association’s effort in DEI from their inaugural DEI report.

Learn more about race-related topics in Alzheimer’s disease from the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2022 here, including a study on the impact of racism on the brain and findings on racial disparities in health equity and resources in Black and Brown communities.

Listen to Dr. Hill’s past episodes of Dementia Matters, “Scientific Importance Of Diversity In Alzheimer’s Disease Research,” and, “Battling Health Disparities In Aging Research And Care,” on our website.

Learn more about Dr. Hill in his bio on the Alzheimer’s Association’s website.

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Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

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Agitation and Alzheimer’s: Strategies for Managing Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia

Many people living with dementia experience behavioral symptoms alongside changes in their cognition. What can care partners and healthcare providers do to manage these behavioral changes? After leading the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s (ADRC) annual Dr. Daniel I. Kaufer Lecture, Dr. Helen Kales joins the podcast to discuss agitation and other behavioral symptoms of dementia, the use of medications to manage these symptoms, and different caregiving approaches for addressing these behavioral changes in people living with dementia.

Guest: Helen Kales, MD, geriatric psychiatrist, Joe P. Tupin Endowed Professor of Psychiatry, Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis

Show Notes

Watch the recording of Dr. Kales’ lecture, "Agitation is not a disease: How can we better manage the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia?,” on YouTube.

Learn more about the DICE approach, discussed at 21:01, on The DICE Approach website.

Learn more about the annual Dr. Daniel I. Kaufer Lecture on our website.

Learn more about Dr. Kales at her bio on the University of California, Davis website.

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Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

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

Promises to Practice: Creating Sustainable Community Partnerships to Support Alzheimer’s Research

Gina Green-Harris joins the podcast to discuss the importance of collaborating with communities in Alzheimer’s research. Sharing her experience as a researcher with the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (WAI) and the All of Us research program, she describes the key tenets of community engagement and explains ways researchers can build intentional, sustainable partnerships with communities throughout the research process This episode is part of a series featuring speakers from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s (NACC) Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, where the overarching theme was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ADRC research and operations.

Guest: Gina Green-Harris, MBA, director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute Regional Milwaukee Office, co-primary investigator, co-director, University of Wisconsin–Madison’s All of Us research program

Show Notes

Learn more about Gina Green-Harris on the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute’s website and on the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research’s website.

Learn more about the All of Us Research Program.

Watch a recording of Gina Green-Harris’s talk at NACC’s Fall 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Learn more about the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center at their website.

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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.

Study Shows APOE Gene Affects Hispanic Populations’ Risk of Cognitive Decline Differently to Non-Hispanic Populations

The APOE gene is recognized as a significant genetic risk factor for cognitive decline, with different alleles, like APOE e2, being seen as protective against decline and others, like APOE e4, indicating an increased risk for cognitive decline. However, new studies are looking at whether these trends are universal across different racial and ethnic groups. Dr. Cally Xiao joins the podcast to discuss her study, which focuses on how different APOE alleles affect risk for Alzheimer’s disease within Hispanic populations compared to non-Hispanic populations.

Guest: Cally Xiao, PhD, Project Specialist, Global Alzheimer’s Association Interactive Network, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, University of Southern California

Show Notes

Follow Dr. Xiao on Twitter. 

Learn more about GAAIN on their website or on Twitter. 

Read more about the study, “Comparison of genetic and health risk factors for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white participants,” online through the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Listen to Sarah Biber’s episode, “The Future Of Sharing And Accessing Alzheimer’s Disease Data,” on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, and all major podcast platforms.

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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.

Putting Lecanemab into Practice: A Clinician’s Perspective on the New Alzheimer’s Treatment

On July 6, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval for the Alzheimer’s disease drug Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb), the first medicine shown to delay the course of the disease. Having gone through a rigorous approval process, the medication exemplifies a critical advancement in the ongoing battle to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Having already prescribed the treatment to real-life patients, Dr. Robert Przybelski joins the podcast to discuss his experience prescribing and administering lecanemab, what clinicians and patients should discuss when considering these treatments, and what is needed to integrate these treatments into the healthcare system.

Guest: Robert Przybelski, MD, MS, director, Geriatric Memory Clinics, UW Health, professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Show Notes

Read more about Lecanemab’s Appropriate Use Guidelines on our website.

Read the FDA’s press release, “FDA Converts Novel Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment to Traditional Approval.”

Listen to previous Dementia Matters episodes on lecanemab, “Introducing Lecanemab, The Latest Alzheimer’s Disease Drug to Receive FDA Accelerated Approval,” and “A Closer Look at the Lecanemab Clinical Trials,” on our website and all major podcast platforms.

Listen to Dr. Przybelski’s previous episode of Dementia Matters, “Vitamin Deficiency And Its Impact On Brain Health,” on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, and all major podcast platforms.

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Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

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

Deciding to Donate: Barriers and Benefits of Brain Donations for Diverse Populations

Dr. Crystal Glover, health equity in aging researcher at Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, joins the podcast to discuss the importance of increasing brain donations and tissue samples from older adults of underrepresented backgrounds. Dr. Glover talks about the reasons why participants may be interested in brain donations, the barriers that they may face, and the benefits of combining both qualitative and quantitative data within her research. This episode is part of a series featuring speakers from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s (NACC) Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, where the overarching theme was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ADRC research and operations. 

Guest: Crystal Glover, PhD, leader, Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Behavioral Sciences, Rush Medical College

Show Notes

Follow Dr. Glover on Twitter. 

Learn more about Dr. Glover on Rush University’s website.

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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.

Lecanemab, Clinical Trials, and the Importance of Clinical Meaningfulness

On June 9, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) advisory committee unanimously voted to approve lecanemab, moving the treatment one step closer to full FDA approval. In the lead up to the FDA’s official announcement expected in early July, Dr. Paul Aisen joins the podcast to discuss Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials. Aisen,  the founding director of the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI) and a leading figure in Alzheimer’s disease research for over three decades, talks about the Phase 3 clinical trials for lecanemab and gantenerumab and shares highlights from the 2022 Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) conference.

Guest: Paul Aisen, MD, professor of neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Director, Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute 

Show Notes

Find out more about Dr. Aisen on Keck School of Medicine’s website.

Follow the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute on Facebook andTwitter.

Listen to the episode with Dr. Roderick Corriveau, “Mixed Dementia, Explained” on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, and all major podcast platforms.

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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.

Understanding the Social Determinants of Health and Disparities in Alzheimer’s Research

Dr. Lisa Barnes joins the podcast to discuss her research focusing on how social determinants of health, specifically racial differences, affect chronic diseases of aging.She explains the difference between equality, equity and justice, and the different drivers of disparities within the medical field. This episode is part of a series featuring speakers from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s (NACC) Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, where the overarching theme was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ADRC research and operations. 

Guest: Lisa Barnes, PhD, Alla V. and Solomon Jesmer Professor of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, neuropsychologist, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

Show Notes

Learn more information about the NACC and watch the presentation recordings from the Spring 2023 ADRC Meeting on their website.

Watch Dr. Barnes’ presentation at the Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, “Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity.”

Read more about the study Dr. Barnes mentions at 16:36, “Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Inequities in Receipt of Multiple National Institutes of Health Research Project Grants,” for free through JAMA Network and through the article, “Scientists with multiple NIH grants are overwhelmingly male and white,” published by Science.

Read more about the study Dr. Barnes mentions at 16:40, “Systemic racial disparities in funding rates at the National Science Foundation,” for free through the National Library of Medicine. 

Learn more about Dr. Barnes on Rush University’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.