Dementia Matters

What do you do if you have a family history of dementia and are experiencing symptoms, but can’t get a diagnosis? Dr. Sara Langer has dealt with just that. In the latest episode of our Voices of Research Participants series, Dr. Langer shares the obstacles she endured to receive her diagnosis of Lewy body dementia (LBD), how her background as a neurologist influenced her search for clinical care and how she turned to dementia research to find answers. She also discusses ways that the field of dementia research could improve to support those with other forms of dementia outside of Alzheimer’s disease. Guest: Sara Langer, MD, neurologist Co-host: Sarah Walter, MSc, program administrator, Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC) and Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI) Show Notes Learn more about Sarah Walter at her bio on the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium website. Listen to the first episode of the Voices of Research Participants series, “From Caregiver to Research Participant: How One Woman’s Experience as a Dementia Caregiver Drew Her to Alzheimer’s Research,” on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all podcast platforms. Learn more about Lewy body dementia by watching the 2021 Dr. Daniel I. Kaufer Lecture, “Diagnosis and Management of Dementia with Lewy Bodies,” on our YouTube page. Learn more about how to get a dementia diagnosis 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.

Dr. Victoria Williams, a neuropsychologist, explains cognition, memory, and cognitive testing, touching on the stages of memory, cognitive aging, Lewy body disease, and vascular dementia. She also discusses conditions mimicking dementia symptoms, the limitations of cognitive screeners, and the future of digital assessments in evaluating cognitive function.

Dr. Jim Jackson, a critical illness researcher, discusses the impact of Long COVID on cognition. He compares Long COVID to chronic illnesses, addresses challenges faced by older adults, and highlights disparities in healthcare access. The podcast explores cognitive rehabilitation methods and neuroplasticity approaches for Long COVID, emphasizing the importance of integrating neuropsychology into patient care.

Dr. Frank Lin discusses the link between hearing loss and dementia, sharing insights from the ACHIEVE study. Topics include the impact of hearing interventions on cognitive decline, in-ear headphones' effects on hearing, and factors influencing hearing loss like noise exposure and genetics.

Caring for a loved one with cognitive decline can be challenging. While it is a labor of love, burnout is all but inevitable. In this episode kicking off our Voices of Research Participants series with co-host Sarah Walter, Cynthia Sierra touches on her personal experience with caregiver burnout as both a caregiver and research study partner for her mother, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. She also shares her unique perspective on Alzheimer’s disease research as someone who started as a family caregiver. Guest: Cynthia Sierra, MS, LPC, senior project manager, UT Health San Antonio Co-host: Sarah Walter, MSc, program administrator, Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC) and Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI) Show Notes Learn more about Cynthia Sierra’s research at her ResearchGate profile. Learn more about Sarah Walter at her bio on the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium website. Find resources for people with dementia and their care partners 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.

In the past few years, new therapies shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease in people in the early stages of the disease have been making their way through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval process. With these treatments now available, there are a growing number of questions surrounding who is eligible to take these medications and what processes are needed to ensure they are prescribed safely and effectively. Host Dr. Nathaniel Chin examines the guidelines for geriatricians and clinicians prescribing lecanemab and breaks down the eligibility requirements necessary to receive this treatment. Show Notes Read Eisai/Biogen’s “Prescribing Information” for Leqembi online. Read “Lecanemab: Appropriate Use Recommendations” on the National Library of Medicine website. Read the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) guidelines for prescribing lecanemab, “Lecanemab-irmb (LEQEMBI) Criteria for Use August 2023,'' online. Listen to previous Dementia Matters episodes on lecanemab, including “Putting Lecanemab into Practice: A Clinician’s Perspective on the New Alzheimer’s Treatment,” “A Closer Look at the Lecanemab Clinical Trials,” and “Introducing Lecanemab, The Latest Alzheimer’s Disease Drug to Receive FDA Accelerated Approval,” on our website and all major podcast platforms. 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.

Dr. Luke Stoeckel from the National Institute on Aging discusses inconclusive evidence on non-medicinal interventions for reducing dementia risk. Topics include challenges in studying interventions, person-centered outcomes, innovative approaches like cognitive training, and personal health choices for dementia risk reduction.

In this year-end episode of Dementia Matters, we explore the vital role of philanthropy in advancing Alzheimer's disease research and care. Mr. Dave Adam serves on the board of visitors for the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s (IEA) and is an avid long-distance biker. In this episode, Adam shares his journey of combining his passions for biking and Alzheimer's advocacy. With personal experiences touched by dementia, Dave discusses how he used his solo biking expeditions across Canada and Australia to raise awareness and funds to support prevention and treatment strategies, improve care and benefit researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison seeking a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Guest: Dave Adam, board of visitors, UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s (IEA)  Show Notes Do you like what you are hearing and learning? Make an impact when you make a tax-deductible gift to the Dementia Matters fund of the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production. Learn more about UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s (IEA) on its website. Read more about Mr. Adam’s travel and biking stories on his website. Learn more about Mr. Adam on the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’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.

Dr. Paul Seidler joins the podcast to discuss his recent study looking at the connection between molecules in green tea and tau proteins. He also discusses the impact those molecules have on preventing cognitive decline and how these findings could lead to new strategies for treating Alzheimer’s disease. Guest: Paul Seidler, PhD, assistant professor, University of Southern California Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Show Notes Read more about Dr. Seidler’s study, “Structure-based discovery of small molecules that disaggregate Alzheimer's disease tissue derived tau fibrils in vitro,” on the National Library of Medicine website. Read the article on the research from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), “Study of green tea and other molecules uncovers new therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s,” on their website. Learn more about Dr. Seidler on the University of Southern California’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.

In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, released an advisory calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness and social isolation in the U.S. With this widespread issue affecting such a broad population, how does social isolation impact older adults? Dr. Alison Huang joins the podcast to share insights from her study on the relationship between social isolation and the risk of dementia in older adults. Using data from a nine-year National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), she discusses how factors like living alone, limited social networks and reduced activity participation contribute to increased dementia risk. Guest: Alison Huang, PhD, MPH, senior research associate, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Show Notes Learn more about the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website. Read Dr. Huang’s study, “Social isolation and 9-year dementia risk in community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries in the United States,” on the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society website. Learn more about the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) on their website. Learn more about Dr. Alison Huang on Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health’s website. Learn more about Alzheimer's disease prevention 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.