Dementia Matters

Recorded live from the Wisconsin ADRC’s Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias Research Day, Dr. Nathaniel Chin discusses the importance of mentorship and the future of neuroscience and Alzheimer’s disease research with the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC) Neuroscience Next 'One to Watch' award recipients and the event’s organizers.

Guests: Barbara Bendlin, PhD, director, UW-Madison Neuroscience and Public Policy Program, leader, Research Education Component (REC), Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center; Claire Sexton, DPhil, senior director of scientific programs and outreach, Alzheimer’s Association; Nadia Dehghani, BS, co-chair, Neuroscience Next Scientific Program Committee; Claire André, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Université de Montréal; Chinmayi Balusu, founder, CEO, Simply Neuroscience; Kacie Deters, PhD, assistant professor, University of California Los Angeles; Kao Lee Yang, MPA/PhD candidate in the Neuroscience and Public Policy Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Dr. Natascha Merten joins the podcast to discuss her study focused on trends in cognitive function across generations. Merten also explains her research on the associations between sensory and motor functions and blood-based biomarkers for neurodegeneration and dementia.

Guest: Natascha Merten, PhD, MS, director, Beaver Dam Offspring Study-Neurocognitive Aging Study, assistant professor, Departments of Population Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Dr. Annalise Rahman-Filipiak joins the podcast to discuss her research focused on disclosing neuroimaging biomarkers across diverse populations. She addresses why some people might want to know their biomarker results, while others might not, and how careful disclosure of these results to at-risk individuals may help prepare them and their families for the future through personalized treatment, research engagement, advanced planning and emotional support.

Guest: Annalise Rahman-Filipiak, PhD, assistant professor, neuropsychologist, department of psychiatry, University of Michigan

For families and dementia care partners, palliative care can help improve the quality of life for their loved ones and themselves by addressing physical and emotional needs. However, starting conversations around end-of-life care and planning can be difficult. Dr. Elizabeth Bukowy joins the podcast to explain the difference between palliative and hospice care, share how families and care partners can start these challenging conversations, and discuss why these discussions are essential for quality of life.

Guest: Elizabeth Bukowy, DO, CMD, assistant professor, Medical College of Wisconsin Division of Geriatrics; medical director, Lutheran Home and Congregational Home

When seeking medical information and treatment, different racial and ethnic groups may require specially tailored information to relate to, understand and apply to their own experiences. In this episode, Dr. Fayron Epps joins the podcast to talk about the unique experiences of African American caregivers and her lab's work to provide education and assistance to their needs. Epps seeks to promote quality of life for families affected by dementia through research, education and service. 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 Research and Related Dementias.

Guest: Fayron Epps, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, assistant professor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, principal investigator, Faith Village Research Lab, founder, Alter

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

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

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)

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

Dementia Matters Special Series: The National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease Data and Research Part 6

Concluding our special series on the 2022 Spring ADRC Meeting, Dr. Cerise Elliott joins the podcast to discuss the NIA’s work within the field of Alzheimer’s disease research, how the NIA promotes open science to advance research across the ADRC program, and other key takeaways from the spring meeting.

Guest: Cerise Elliott, PhD, program director for clinical interventions and diagnostics, division of neuroscience, National Institute on Aging

Dementia Matters Special Series: The National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease Data and Research Part 5

Whether it be due to new research findings, innovative approaches and ideas, or technological advancements, Alzheimer’s disease research is constantly evolving. Now, dementia research is headed into the digital frontier. Dr. Rhoda Au joins the podcast to discuss digital biomarkers, gamifying cognitive testing, and how the field of Alzheimer’s disease research is entering its digital age.

Guest: Rhoda Au, PhD, digital technology leader, Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, co-principal investigator, director of neuropsychology, Framingham Heart Study, professor, Boston University School of Medicine

Dementia Matters Special Series: The National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease Data and Research Part 4

Brain imaging is a key tool in Alzheimer’s disease research and diagnoses, allowing scientists to see changes in the brain years, even decades, before an individual experiences symptoms of dementia. The data these images provide researchers with is incredibly useful, leading the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center to take up numerous efforts to standardize, unify and share this type of data across the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers. Dr. Beth Mormino joins the podcast to discuss the NIA’s SCAN initiative, the new “legacy” data set, and the importance of standardizing MRI and PET scan procedures to predict brain trajectories better.

Guest: Beth Mormino, PhD, assistant professor, Stanford University

Dementia Matters Special Series: The National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease Data and Research Part 3

With big data comes big responsibility. Dr. Sean Mooney joins the podcast to discuss his work with NACC, the precautions NACC takes to keep participant data secure, and how this data can be used to better predict Alzheimer’s disease risk to allow for earlier interventions.

Guest: Sean Mooney, PhD, associate director of technology, National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center, Chief Research Information Officer, UW Medicine, professor, University of Washington

Dementia Matters Special Series: The National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease Data and Research Part 2

Dr. Sarah Biber, the program director for NACC, joins the podcast to discuss building a one-stop shop for Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) data and what it means for the future of collaborative Alzheimer’s disease research.

Guest: Sarah Biber, PhD, program director, National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center

Dementia Matters Special Series: The National Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease Data and Research Part 1:

Kicking off our six-episode series on the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center and their Spring 2022 ADRC meeting, Dr. Walter Kukull joins the podcast. He explains what NACC is, what they do with the data they collect from the 42+ Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers, the center’s biannual ADRC meetings and what he’s most excited about for the next five years of Alzheimer’s disease research.

Guest: Walter Kukull, PhD, director, National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center, professor, University of Washington department of epidemiology

Researchers typically recognize the APOE e4 gene as a significant genetic risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. However, a new study has found that the allele is not linked to neurodegeneration for all races and ethnic groups, specifically for American Indian populations. Dr. Astrid Suchy-Dicey joins the podcast to discuss her study, the importance of representation in Alzheimer’s disease research, hypotheses for why this allele isn’t a risk factor for all populations and what it means for research going forward.

Guest: Astrid Suchy-Dicey, PhD, epidemiologist, assistant research professor, Washington State University, Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH)

Research participants are recruited through a variety of practices. One of the most popular tools are registries, but how can registries affect diversity and representation within research? Josh Grill joins the podcast to discuss his work studying research registries, their effects on representation for disadvantaged communities, and how research recruitment and outreach can be improved going forward.

Guest: Josh Grill, PhD, director, Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, associate professor, University of California, Irvine

AAIC Special Series Part 8:

Closing out our special series spotlighting the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, Dr. Percy Griffin joins the podcast to discuss highlights from this year’s event.

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

AAIC Special Series Part 7:

Recent studies have shown that 1 in 5 U.S. adults who were diagnosed with COVID-19 now deal with Long COVID, a condition where individuals report fatigue, cognitive issues, difficulty breathing, and other symptoms lasting at least three months after infection. With these reported effects on cognition and brain health, what else do we know about COVID’s impact on the brain? Dr. Heather Snyder joins us to talk about what we know about COVID-19’s effects on the brain and her upcoming scientific session at AAIC 2022.

Guest: Heather Snyder, PhD, vice president, medical & scientific relations, Alzheimer’s Association