Alzheimer’s Research Progress

The New Age of Alzheimer’s is a Scientific American special report that explores advances in Alzheimer’s research, treatment, and new approaches to brain health. The cited progress could eventually delay or even prevent dementia. It’s especially important as the global population ages and the number of Alzheimer’s cases increases, both with staggering economic consequences. 

As founding editor of Modern Health Talk, I’ve written several articles on this brain disease. Many described how quality sleep helps the brain rid itself of accumulated amyloid plaque and tao tangles. The S.A. report includes a collection of articles that add new perspectives I can’t come close to offering. Here is a list of the articles and link to a PDF version of the special report with my annotated comments added.

TABLE OF CONTENTS, New Age of Alzheimer’s with individual links:

A Crazy Little Thing Called Hope, by Jeremy Abbate — Publisher’s opening comments with reflections on a long-awaited Alzheimer’s forum

Seize This Global Moment, by George Vradenburg and Olivier Schwab — Defeating Alzheimer’s is now possible, if we meet the global health challenge the disease has created.

A Seismic Shift in Alzheimer’s, by David H. Freedman — Recent advances in early detection and treatment have galvanized scientists and given hope to patients.

Stopping Alzheimer’s Ahead of Symptoms, by David H. Freedman — Can drugs given early stave off cognitive decline?

“You should know, I’m not a saint”, by Dasha Kiper — Most caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s find themselves behaving in counterproductive ways. The disease affects their brains, too.

The Ten Trillion Dollar Disease, by David Bloom, Simiao Chen and Arindam Nandi — A new model of Alzheimer’s predicts a staggering economic burden and justifies major investments in research, testing, treatments and public-health outreach.

The Ballooning Economic Impact of Dementia, INFOGRAPHIC — A new model predicts Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost
$17 trillion a year by 2050.

A Marathon Journey from Lab to Clinic, by Esther Landaus — How 20 years of molecular detective work led to the first effective Alzheimer’s drugs.

Alzheimer’s Impact on the Brain, INFOGRAPHIC by Katie Peek — The latest neuroscience tracks where the disease begins and how it progresses.

An Alzheimer’s Blood Test for Everyone, by Suzanne Schindler — Annual checkups may soon include a blood test that screens people for Alzheimer’s, ushering in a new era of treatments.

How to Detect Alzheimer’s Before Symptoms Appear, INFOGRAPHIC — New technologies that catch the earliest signs of dementia will be critical for slowing, and one day stopping, disease progression. 

Beyond Pen and Paper, by Adam Piore — Digital cognitive tests designed to spot early signs of Alzheimer’s are beginning to hit the market. 

Eyes: Gateway to the Brain, INFOGRAPHIC by Adam Piore — The eyes are windows to the central nervous system and may offer new, noninvasive screening methods.

Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s, INFOGRAPHIC by Katie Peek — Genes and age play a big role in susceptibility to the disease, but choices make a difference too. 

A Grassroots Approach to Diversity, by Samar Bajaj — Community engagement is a must for ensuring clinical trial diversity and effective treatments for all.

“We need genomics at a global scale,” by Fred Guterl — Research on diverse populations is essential to beat a disease as complex as Alzheimer’s says Elias Zerhouni.

The urgent Challenge of Scale, by Hilary Evans and John Bell — To bring new tests and treatments to the people who need them, healthcare systems must transform how they approach dementia care. 

The Approaching Alzheimer’s Wave, INFOGRAPHIC by Katie Peek — Dementia is on the rise in every region of the world, with vast implications for public health.

A Gentle Sleight of Hand, by Mac Margolis — The village of Volta Redonda in Brazil has built a model day-care center for Alzheimer’s patients. 

Preaching Brain Health to Young and Old Alike, by William Underhill — Scotland is putting in place an infrastructure for preventing Alzheimer’s.

It Takes a Village, by April Reese — Community leaders in Kenya are leading the charge to increase Alzheimer’s awareness and reduce stigma.

Teaching Good Brain Hygiene, by Mihoko Iida — In Japan, where more than 90,000 people are 100 years or older, clinicians are advocating lifestyle habits that reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Taking It to the Streets, by April Reese — In Armenia, clinicians travel the countryside in a minivan, conducting tests for Alzheimer’s. 

“We’re at a tipping point with Alzheimer’s,” Q&A — Bill Gates talks about his own experience as a caregiver and what needs to be done to fight this disease.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wayne Caswell is the Founding Editor of Modern Health Talk, an altruistic website and blog with over 800 published articles on healthcare policy, technologies, and solutions for independent living. It started in March 2011 as a nonprofit effort to share the unique perspectives of a retired IBM technologist, market strategist, digital home consultant, futurist, and consumer advocate. The intent was never to generate income but just to help people age-in-place and avoid the higher cost of nursing home care. It soon became clear that fixing our broken healthcare system requires fixing our politics. And to do that, we must get big money out and address the widening wealth gap that corrupts our system.