
Dementia Matters
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.
Latest episodes

Feb 21, 2023 • 31min
Our Evolving Understanding of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an emerging term in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, characterized as the stage between the expected decline in memory and thinking that happens with age and the more severe decline of dementia. In this episode, Dr. Ronald Petersen joins the podcast to talk about how MCI compares to dementia, its many causes, and the impact of new lifestyle and drug interventions on its progression, as well as how his career led him to study Alzheimer's disease and MCI. This episode is part of a special three-part series highlighting speakers from the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute’s 20th Annual Update in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.
Guest: Ronald C. Petersen, MD, PhD, director, Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, director, Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, Cora Kanow Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Show notes
Learn more about the 20th Annual Update in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias on the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute’s website.
Watch the full keynotes of the event on our YouTube channel. Dr. Petersen’s keynote starts at 22:12 in the recording.
Learn more about Dr. Petersen in his bio on his 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.

Feb 16, 2023 • 36min
A Closer Look at the Lecanemab Clinical Trials
In a special episode of Dementia Matters, Drs. Cynthia Carlsson and Sterling Johnson join the podcast to discuss what they know from lecanemab’s clinical trials following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) accelerated approval, granted on January 6, 2023.
Guests: Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS, director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, and Sterling Johnson, PhD, leader, Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP), associate director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute
Show Notes
This episode was uploaded as an exclusive video episode on the Wisconsin ADRC YouTube page on February 13, 2023. Watch the video interview with Drs. Carlsson and Johnson here.
In a previous episode of Dementia Matters, Dr. Chin gave a brief overview of lecanemab’s clinical trials. Listen to it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, our website, or wherever you listen.
Read more about the AHEAD study and A4 study at their respective websites.
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.

Feb 7, 2023 • 27min
Therapeutic Fibbing: Mastering the Art of Communicating with a Loved One with Dementia
Former Governor of Wisconsin, Martin Schreiber, returns to Dementia Matters to discuss different methods for communicating with a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, including therapeutic fibbing. Governor Schreiber has been a widely outspoken advocate for Alzheimer’s disease while caring for his late wife Elaine, who passed away from the disease in April of 2022. In this episode, he also talks about his book, My Two Elaines, where he opens up about his experience as a caregiver.
Guest: Martin Schreiber, Former Governor of Wisconsin (1977-1979), Former Lt. Governor of Wisconsin (1971-1977)
Show Notes
Learn more about Martin Schreiber and his book, My Two Elaines, at his website, or follow him on Facebook.
Listen to Governor Schreiber’s previous appearance on our website or wherever you get your podcasts.
Connect with us
Find transcripts and more at our website.
Email Dementia Matters
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Jan 24, 2023 • 32min
The Future of the Alzheimer’s Association: Interview with Dr. Joanne Pike and Harry Johns
In October 2022, the Alzheimer's Association named Dr. Joanne Pike, the current president of the Association, as the next CEO, succeeding Harry Johns who has served as CEO since 2005. In this episode, Pike and Johns join the podcast to share their insights on how the Alzheimer's Association has grown over the past few decades and the future plans of the association, as well as the next steps in Alzheimer's treatment from both community and medication perspectives.
Guests: Joanne Pike, DrPH, president and CEO, Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, and Harry Johns, former CEO, Alzheimer's Association, former CEO and president, Alzheimer's Impact Movement (AIM), trustee and former chair, World Dementia Council
Show Notes
Learn more about CMS's updated coverage on monoclonal antibody treatment and the Alzheimer's Association’s response at their website.
Learn more about Part the Cloud at their website.
Learn more about the Alzheimer's Association at their website.
Learn more about Dr. Pike in her bio on her website.
Learn more about Mr. Johns in his bio on his 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.

Jan 17, 2023 • 21min
Introducing Lecanemab, the Latest Alzheimer’s Disease Drug to Receive FDA Accelerated Approval
Host Nathaniel Chin, MD, gives an overview of the new Alzheimer’s treatment Leqembi (lecanemab), and highlights results from the second and third phases of its clinical trials. On January 6, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb) via the Accelerated Approval pathway for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Show Notes
In the coming weeks, host Nathaniel Chin will be joined by Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS, and Sterling Johnson, PhD, to further discuss lecanemab and the clinical trials’ results. A link to that episode will be added here following its release.
Read the FDA’s news release regarding lecanemab’s accelerated approval on their 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.

Jan 10, 2023 • 15min
Healthy Habits for the New Year and Modifiable Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease
Host Nathaniel Chin, MD, starts the new year by discussing modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, commenting on building healthy lifestyle habits for the new year, and reflecting as Dementia Matters celebrates five years of production.
Show Notes
“Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission” is mentioned at the 4:16 mark. Read the full report on The Lancet’s website.
Our past episode, “Alcohol and the Brain: One Drink a Day Associated with Brain Shrinkage,” is mentioned at the 5:05 mark. Listen on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
Our past episode, “Study Finds Air Pollution a Risk Factor For Alzheimer’s Disease,” is mentioned at the 5:07 mark. Listen on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
Our past episode, “AARP Study Show Stigma Surrounding Dementia Among Healthcare Professionals And General Public,” is mentioned at the 5:28 mark. Listen on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
As mentioned at the 7:40 mark, learn more about the books The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and Atomic Habits by James Clear, on the authors’ respective websites.
Listen to our past episode, “Impacts of Exercise on Brain Health,” mentioned at the 9:37 mark.
Learn about the book, Why Sleep Matters by Matthew Walker, mentioned at the 11:14 mark.
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.

Dec 29, 2022 • 26min
Bioenergetics: How Mitochondria Affects Alzheimer’s Disease and Aging
It’s generally known that mitochondria are the powerhouse of cells, but did you know they can play a significant role in aging processes? Through the field of bioenergetics, scientists are looking to study how changes in mitochondria affect us as we age and their connection to Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Russell Swerdlow joins the podcast to discuss the field of bioenergetics and how mitochondria can impact Alzheimer’s disease and other aspects of aging.
Guest: Russell Swerdlow, MD, director, Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, director, Heartland Center for Mitochondrial Medicine, professor of neurology, University of Kansas
Show Notes
Learn more about Dr. Russell Swerdlow at his bio on the University of Kansas Medical Center’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.

Dec 13, 2022 • 37min
Looking Toward the Future: How Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker Disclosures Impact Society
The field of biomarkers is advancing quickly, allowing preclinical Alzheimer’s disease to be identified earlier and earlier in a person’s life. As individuals learn they are at risk for Alzheimer’s years or even decades before experiencing cognitive decline, what does this mean for them and for society as a whole? Drs. Emily Largent and Claire Erickson join the podcast to discuss ten key areas, such as healthcare, insurance, and direct-to-consumer testing, that should be addressed to support those at risk for cognitive decline and broader U.S. society as biomarker testing and disclosures become more prominent.
Guests: Emily Largent, PhD, RN, Emanuel and Robert Hart Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and Claire Erickson, PhD, MPA, postdoctoral fellow, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Show Notes
Read Drs. Emily Largent and Claire Erickson’s paper, “Implications of preclinical Alzheimer's disease biomarker disclosure for US policy and society,” on PubMed Central.
Learn more about Dr. Largent at her bio on the Penn Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics website.
Learn more about Dr. Erickson at her bio on the Penn Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics 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.

Nov 29, 2022 • 28min
Mixed Dementia, Explained
Though brain and cognitive changes are typically diagnosed as one form of dementia, recent studies have shown that mixed dementia is more common than previously thought. Mixed dementia, also known as Multiple-etiology dementia, is a condition where brain changes are caused by more than one neurological disease, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia (LBD), or frontotemporal dementia. Dr. Roderick Corriveau joins the podcast to discuss what is known about mixed dementia and how the field of studying neurological diseases is advancing to diagnose and treat this condition.
Guest: Roderick Corriveau, PhD, program director, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH Lead, Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD) Summits
Show Notes
Read more about the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) campaign, “Mind Your Risks,” at the Mind Your Risks website.
Learn more about mixed dementia on the Alzheimer’s Association website.
Learn more about Dr. Corriveau at his bio on the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website.
Learn more about NINDS on their 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.

Nov 15, 2022 • 39min
The Case for Disclosing Biomarker Results to Alzheimer’s Research Participants
Though several validated biomarkers are studied and used in Alzheimer’s disease research, most research participants don’t have the opportunity to learn their biomarker results afterward, even if they have cognitive impairment. Drs. Jason Karlawish and Josh Grill join the podcast to discuss the debate over sharing biomarker results with research participants, how these powerful disclosures can be made ethically, and why it's as important for the field to study biomarker disclosures as it is to study the biomarkers themselves.
Guests: Josh Grill, PhD, director, Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, associate professor, University of California, Irvine, and Jason Karlawish, MD, co-director, Penn Memory Center, professor of medicine, medical ethics and health policy, and neurology, University of Pennsylvania
Show Notes
Read Dr. Jason Karlawish and Dr. Josh Grill’s viewpoint piece, “Disclosing Alzheimer Disease Biomarker Results to Research Participants,” from JAMA Neurology’s June 2022 issue.
Listen to our episode with Dr. Daniel Gibbs about his book (mentioned by Dr. Karlawish at 34:21) on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
Listen to our past episode on amyloid disclosures with research participants on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
Learn more about Dr. Josh Grill at his bio on the University of California - Irvine website.
Learn more about Dr. Jason Karlawish’s work at his 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.